OUR CONSTITUTION AND
THE SUPREME COURT - PART II

Benton Becker

DESCRIPTION: This series addresses our constitutional history and covers a wide range of subjects including: the limitations on presidential power, the 14th Amendment, the Constitution and the 200 year history of the Supreme Court. We will identify the Supreme Court’s outstanding Justices, and at the same time, look at those who were not outstanding. Consistent with the Supreme Court’s constitutional authority and influence on our democracy, a number of historically-harmful decisions (read that as worst decisions) will be reviewed. The lectures will describe the Court’s initiating or contributing role in causing the Civil War by constitutionally authorizing governmental discrimination against females and African-Americans. Finally, participants will be afforded an opportunity to act the role of the current Justices of the Supreme Court by expressing their opinions and votes on a number of as-yet undecided cases pending before the Court.

EIGHT LECTURES:

1. Winners Lose, Losers Win…the Electoral College
   
2. Presidential Power, plus “a switch in time saved…”
   
3. The Fifth Amendment and other forms of immunity
   
4. The 14th Amendment…an uneven playing field
   
5. Defamation exclusion…the Speech and Debate Clause
   
6. The most outstanding Justices of the Supreme Court
   
7. The seven worst decisions of the Supreme Court
   
8. Pending cases before the Supreme Court

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Professor Benton Becker began his legal career as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. In private practice, Professor Becker represented the U.S. Congress and served as Special Counsel to President Ford throughout the pardon negotiations of former President Nixon. Professor Becker recently retired as a Professor of Constitutional Law from St. Thomas University Law School. He has given several series on constitutional law at the Lifelong Learning Society (FAU).