美國最高法院中英文介紹
美國聯邦最高法院是美國最高審判機構，由總統徵得參議院同意後任命的9名終身法官組成，其判例對全國有拘束力，享有特殊的司法審查(judicial review)權，即有權通過具體案例宣佈聯邦或各州的法律是否違憲。
The Supreme Court——The Highest Judicial Authority最高法院——最高司法機關
The Supreme Court is comprised of nine justices who are appointed to the bench for life, or until voluntary retirement. They are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
A Case's Path to the Supreme Court
While the Supreme Court may choose to hear cases directly, it most often selects cases that have been decided in lower courts. Participants in cases decided in lower courts can appeal to their state's highest or Supreme Court. If all state venues are exhausted, litigants may appeal to the United States Supreme Court, the highest court in this country. Some cases may begin in federal courts at the start3 , and these can also end up here.
The nine justices choose which cases to take from those submitted to the Supreme Court. They can refuse to consider a case, accept a case for oral argument, or decide the case summarily without a hearing4. Each of these routes has an effect on the law. the decision not to hear a case allows a lower court's ruling to stand as precedent, or guiding law for other states. The court often decides that a case should be heard in circumstances in which two or more lower courts have decided differently. This split in the opinions of lower courts is common in highly charged issues. In this circumstance, the court acts as final arbiter on a difficult issue.
The Final Decision —— The Majority Rules
The Supreme Court cases that are heard for oral argument are decided by a majority of the justices accepting one theory or opinion of the elements of the case. Basically, the side with most votes wins; that's why most cases have numbers like 7: 2 or 5: 4 that let us know how many judges voted for or against a particular case8. When there is no clear majority, the resulting decision is called a plurality opinion. It is the interpretation that receives more votes than any other opinion.
One justice usually writes the opinion for the majority, while others may write dissenting opinions collectively or on their own. Justices who sign on to either the majority or minority opinion may also add their own opinions, singularly and collectively, that augment the group opinion.
The 9 Justices
Today's Court is made up of justices nominated to the bench by Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. The youngest justice is 54; the oldest, 82. The current Court is closely divided between conservative and liberal elements.
最高法院由九名大法官組成，他們都是終身任職制，除非他們自願退休。他們由美國總統任命，並經美國參議院批准。
最高法院審理案件
最高法院可以直接選擇審理案件，但是它經常會選擇審理初級法院曾經審理過的案件。初級法院審理案件的當事人可以向州最高法院或者最高法院提起上訴。如果州的司法途徑被用盡，訴訟當事人可以將案件上訴到美國的最高法院。一些案件的初審可能會在聯邦法院，它們同時也可以在聯邦級法院進行終審。
九名法官會從上訴到最高法院的案件中有選擇地進行審理。他們可以拒絕審理一個案件，可以受理案件並進行口頭辯論，還可以不經過聽證粗略地對案件進行裁決。所有這些都會對法律產生影響：不經最高法院審理的案件的判決可以使初級法院的'裁決成為先例，或者指導其他州的法律的執行。最高法院經常裁定，只有同一案件在兩個或者更多的初級法院作出不同裁定的時候，才應該對這一案件召開聽證會。在許多引起強烈爭論的問題上，許多初級法院意見相左。在這種情況下，最高法院就這些難以處理的問題作最後的裁決。
終審判決——多數原則
最高法院受理的案件經口頭辯論，由接受一種理論或者案件要素的法官的多數來決定。基本上，得到多數票的一方贏得訴訟;這就是為什麼許多案件的判決結果會寫明7：2或5：4，因為這樣我們可以知道多少法官同意或者反對該案件的判決結果。當沒有絕對半數通過時，判決結果稱之為多數意見。它只是一個比其他意見贏得更多票數的解釋。
一名法官通常會代替大多數法官撰寫意見，其他人則共同地或單獨地撰寫不同意見。持多數派意見和持少數派意見的法官們都可以在判決書中加上他們自己的意見。
九名法官
現在最高法院的法官是由裏查德·尼克松、傑拉爾德·福特、羅納爾德·里根、喬治·布什和比爾·克林頓總統們任命的。最年輕的法官是53歲，最年長的法官是81歲。目前法院的法官明顯分成保守派和自由派。
