Supreme court justices ages 2016

The Supreme Court of the Combined States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of , consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight associate justices, any six of whom constitute a quorum.^[1][2]Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution grants plenary power to the president of the United States to nominate, and with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, appoint justices to the Supreme Court; justices have existence tenure.^[3]

Background

Main article: Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court was created by Article III of the United States Constitution, which stipulates that the "judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court,"^[4] and was organized by the 1st United States Congress.

Through the Judiciary Execute of , Congress specified the Court's original and appellate jurisdiction, created thirteen judicial districts, and fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices).^[5][6]

Since , Congress has occasionally altered the size of the Supreme Court, historically in response to the country's own expansion in size.

By Debra Cassens Weiss. The average age of current justices on the U. Supreme Court is just over 69, making the court one of the oldest on record. The average age was higher at the end ofwhen it was

An act would have decreased the Court's size to five members upon its next vacancy. However, an act negated the effects of the act upon the Court before any such vacancy occurred, maintaining the Court's size at six members. Later legislation increased its size to seven members in , to nine in , and to ten in An act was to have reduced the Court's size from ten members to seven upon its next three vacancies, and two vacancies did occur during this period.

However, before a third vacancy occurred, the Judiciary Act of intervened, restoring the Court's size to nine members, where it has remained ever since.^[7]

While the justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, many have retired or resigned.

Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Behave ofconsists of the chief justice of the United States and eight associate justicesany six of whom constitute a quorum. Through the Judiciary Act ofCongress specified the Court's original and appellate jurisdictioncreated thirteen judicial districts, and fixed the number of justices at six one chief justice and five associate justices. SinceCongress has occasionally altered the size of the Supreme Court, historically in response to the country's own expansion in size. An act would have decreased the Court's size to five members upon its next vacancy.

Commencing in the early 20th century, many justices who left the Court voluntarily did so by retiring from the Court without leaving the federal judiciary altogether. A retired justice, according to the United States Code, is no longer a member of the Supreme Court, but remains eligible to serve by designation as a judge of a U.S.

Court of Appeals or District Court, and many retired justices have served in these capacities. Historically, the average length of service on the Court has been less than 15 years. However, since the average length of service has increased to about 26 years.^[8]

List of justices

Since the Supreme Court was established in , people acquire served on the Court.

The Green Papers: Historical Data: As of January 17, , the length of service for the nine incumbent justices ranges from Clarence Thomas 's 33 years, 86 days to Ketanji Brown Jackson 's 2 years, days.

The length of service on the Court for the non-incumbent justices ranges from William O. Douglas's 36&#;years, &#;days to John Rutledge's 1&#;year, 18&#;days as associate justice and, separated by a period of years off the Court, his &#;days as principal justice.

As of January 19, , the length of service for the nine incumbent justices ranges from Clarence Thomas's 33&#;years, 88&#;days to Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2&#;years, &#;days. Five individuals, who were confirmed for associate justice, were later appointed chief justice separately: John Rutledge,^[a]Edward Douglass White,^[b]Charles Evans Hughes,^[a]Harlan F.

Stone^[b] and William Rehnquist.^[b] While listed twice, each of them has been assigned only one index number. The justices of the Supreme Court are:^[9][10]