We recognize December 15 as Bill of Rights Day. President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated this day by proclamation in 1941 to observe and honor the ratification of the first ten amendments to the Unites States Constitution. But how did the Bill of Rights itself come to be?
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bill Of Rights Day
The Grand Jury - The People's Gatekeeper
One of the most important parts of our federal judicial system is the jury. Most people know the role of the trial jury in determining guilt or innocence in a criminal trial and liability in a civil trial. But there is another type of federal jury that is critical to the operation of our federal judiciary—the grand jury.
Civil Discourse - A Necessary Skill In Our Demoracy
Federal Courts often encounter disputes where the stakes are high, litigants hold strongly opposed opinions, and emotions run hot. Add to this a variety of sometimes conflicting personalities, and you might expect unsolvable disputes.
Constitution Day 2021 - The Constitution Is For Us All
On Thursday, September 16, 2021, close to a hundred people came together on the steps of the federal courthouse to celebrate the most basic thing we share as Americans: that together, we are “We the people,” and the Constitution is for all of us.
Bankruptcy Court - The Court of Second Chances
What do the following fifteen people have in common: Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and William McKinley; Senator George McGovern; business innovators Henry Ford, J.C. Penney, and Henry John Heinz; financial advisor Dave Ramsey; talk-show host Larry King; celebrated author Mark Twain; entertainment entrepreneurs Walt Disney and P.T. Barnum; actress Debbie Reynolds; and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Johnny Unitas?
Active Citizenship
This month we celebrated Independence Day, our nation’s birthday. The Fourth of July holiday reminds us of the founders’ tremendous civic activism and engagement in forming a new nation. In the years leading up to the decision to separate from England in 1776, they engaged in debates, arguments, assemblies, and public appeals on the pros and cons of separation.
To Support And Defend The Constitution
Every year, the Eastern District of Tennessee Civics Education and Outreach Committee partners with local chapters of the Federal Bar Association to sponsor local essay contests for high school students. The contests, which focus on some aspect of civics education, are open to public, private, and home-school high school students in all 41 counties in east Tennessee.
What is the Price of Democracy?
Most United States citizens consider ourselves fortunate to live in a modern, mature democracy. We appreciate the great freedoms and abundant material things our democracy affords us. But while we all know the old adage that freedom is not free, neither is democracy.
Why Don't All Federal Judges Rule the Same Way
A common question raised about the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, is why judges rule differently in the same or similar cases. Federal judges take an oath to "administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and [to] faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all [their] duties."
An Essential Court Function: Bringing the Words of the Law to Life
Over the past months, we have discussed the federal judiciary’s fundamental functions in our American democracy. One of those functions is to articulate and interpret the law. As stated by Chief Justice John Marshall in the famous Marbury v. Madison decision, "It is emphatically the duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is.