Supreme Court of the United States, Essay Example

The Supreme Court has the power to facilitate laws, and decide significant issues as such case in DOMA, Proposition 8 in California, Equal Protection Rights, and other cases where the decision had a great impact.  The Supreme Court hears cases from the federal, district, and international level, and its decision constitute the highest law of the land. However, as the Supreme Court receives thousands of request each year to hear cases, they are selective in the cases they choose to hear which include the legal question cannot be resolved by a lower court, is it a Constitutional issue, involves the federal government, is it significant to society, and the pressure of the Solicitor General. The standard process involves four of the nine Supreme justices agreeing to review the case. The Supreme Court decides to adjudicate on cases where its intent is to resolve a larger issues that significance goes beyond the courtrooms.

In the case of Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court decided to adjudicate on the case based on the importance of striking down the sodomy law in Texas, and more importantly invalidates thirteen states that had sodomy laws. In considering the court case, it was based criminal convictions were under the Homosexual Conduct law in Texas, criminalize same sex couples that violated the equal protection in the Fourteenth Amendment. Their decision to adjudicate the case was challenged the political system, which declared the case or the act of sodomy was unconstitutional, by way the ruling Bowers v. Hardwick, and the Due Process Claude under the Fourteenth Amendment. The powers of the Supreme Court help to establish laws which are then ordained by Congress. The case of Lawrence v. Texas attracted much public frenzy, and amici curiae, friends of the court briefs were filed. The Supreme Court helped to create a progression to gay rights, and help to stop discriminatory laws, rights of privacy, and other essential laws.