Retirement Benefits of US Supreme Court Justices

Retirement Benefits of US Supreme Court Justices Retiring U.S. Supreme Court justices are entitled to a lifetime pension equal to their highest full salary. In order to qualify for a full pension, retiring justices must have served for a minimum of 10 years provided the sum of the justices age and years of Supreme Court service totals 80. As of 2018, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court earned an annual salary of $255,300, while the Chief Justice was paid $267,000. Supreme Court associate justices who decide to retire at age 70, after 10 years on the job, or at age 65 with 15 years of service is eligible to receive their full highest salary – usually their salary at retirement for the rest of their lives. In return for this lifetime pension, judges who retire in relatively good health with no disabilities are required to remain active in the legal community, performing a minimum specified amount of judicial obligations every year. Why a Lifetime Full Salary? The United States Congress established the retirement for Supreme Court justices at full salary in the Judiciary Act of 1869, the same law that settled the number of justices at nine. Congress felt that since Supreme Court justices, like all federal judges, are well paid and appointed for life; a lifetime pension at full salary would encourage judges to retire rather than attempting to serve during extended periods of poor health and potential senility. Indeed, fear of death and decreased mental capacity are often cited as motivating factors in judges decisions to retire. President Franklin Roosevelt summed Congress reasoning up in his Fireside Chat of March 9, 1937, when he stated, We think it so much in the public interest to maintain a vigorous judiciary that we encourage the retirement of elderly judges by offering them a life pension at full salary. Other Benefits A good salary with an exceptionally good retirement plan is far from the only benefit to being appointed the Supreme Court. Among the others are: Health Care Federal judges are covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits system. Federal judges are also free to acquire private health and long-term care insurance. Job Security All Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President of the United States, with the approval of the U.S. Senate, for a lifetime term. As specified on Article III, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Justices â€Å"shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour,† meaning they can only be removed from the Court if they are impeached by the House of Representatives and removed if convicted in a trial held in the Senate. To date, only one Supreme Court justice has been impeached by the House. Justice Samuel Chase was impeached by the House in 1805 based on charges of allowing political partisanship to influence his decisions. Chase was subsequently acquitted by the Senate. Due to the security of their lifetime terms, Supreme Court justices, unlike any of the other presidentially-appointed, high-level federal bureaucrats, a free to make decisions without fear that doing so will cost them their jobs. Vacation Time and Workload Help How does three months per year off with full salary sound to you? The Supreme Court’s annual term includes a three-month recess, typically from July 1 through September 30. Justices receive the annual recess as vacation, with no judicial obligations and may use the free time as they see fit. When the Supreme Court is in session actively accepting, hearing, and deciding cases, the Justices receive extensive assistance from law clerks that read and prepare detailed summaries for the justices of the massive volume of material sent to the Court by other judges, lower courts, and lawyers. The clerks – whose jobs are highly prized and sought-after, also help the justices write their opinions on cases. Besides the highly technical writing, this job alone requires days of detailed legal research. Prestige, Power, and Fame For American judges and lawyers, there can be no more prestigious role in the legal profession than serving on the Supreme Court. Through their written decisions and statements on landmark cases, they become known worldwide, often with their names becoming household words. In possessing the power to overturn the actions of Congress and the President of the United States through their decisions, Supreme Court justices directly impact American history, as well as the day-to-day lives of the people. For example, landmark Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, which ended racial segregation in public schools or Roe v. Wade, which recognized that the constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman’s right to have an abortion, will continue to affect American society for decades.

Make Fireballs You Can Hold in Your Hand

Make Fireballs You Can Hold in Your Hand Fire is made up of light and heated gases from combustion. You can control the temperature of fire by selecting a fuel that burns with a cool flame. If you pour the fuel onto a substance that wont burn, you can make a fireball that you can hold in your hand or juggle. Here are written instructions for making your own handheld fireballs. Materials Needed to Make Fireballs 2 x 5 strip of cotton cloth (like from a t-shirt)100% cotton threadNeedleNaphtha lighter fluid (e.g., Ronsonolâ„ ¢)Match or lighter How to Make a Handheld Fireball Thread the needle with cotton thread.Tightly roll the cotton strip into a ball.Pierce the ball with the needle and wrap the ball with the thread. End by running the needle through the ball one more time and break off the thread.Soak the ball with lighter fluid. Dont soak your hands.Dont ignite the fireball while you are holding it. Set the ball on a fire-proof surface. I used a frying pan from my kitchen.If you want to hold the fireball, my recommendation is to pick it up with tongs and carefully/slowly set it on your hand. That way youll be able to tell if you can take the heat or not. Once you gain some confidence, you can pick the fireball up using your fingers. Safety Additional Information Its best to use 100% cotton fabric and thread. If the fiber is synthetic (like nylon or polyester) it might burn or melt, with unpleasant consequences.The trick to this demonstration is the fuel. It needs to be naphtha or kerosene. I have had good luck with Ronsonolâ„ ¢ and Zippoâ„ ¢ (not the butane stuff... read your ingredient list). Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) works, but it burns a little hotter.Its pretty hard to blow the fireball out. You either need to blow hard or else suffocate the flame to extinguish it. You can set a saucepan lid over the fireball.The fireballs are reusable. Put them out when they run out of fuel or else the cotton will burn (you can tell this is happening when the ball starts to blacken and produce sooty smoke). If you get to the point where the cotton itself is burning, the fireball will be too hot to hold. Ideally, you want to extinguish the fireball before it consumes all of its fuel. Simply soak it in more lighter fluid and relight it to reuse it.Regarding holding these in your hand or doing tricks with them... the cone of the flame is hot, especially above the ball, however, the fuel burns at a relatively low temperature. The flashpoint of Ronsonolâ„ ¢ brand of naphtha is 6Â °C or 43Â ° F, with combustion mainly around 400Â °F. To put that in perspective, touching the fireball is a lot like touching a hot pizza right out of the oven (except without the sticky cheese part). Fireballs are great fun to make, but like all fire projects, use proper safety precautions and common sense. Dont get burned or set your house or yard on fire. This is a project which requires adult supervision. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.