Terms starting with "S"

Supreme Court Case Law Supreme Court case law is the body of legal rules and interpretations expressed in decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. Its decisions interpret the Constitution, federal statutes, and other law, and lower courts generally must follow applicable Supreme Court holdings. The effect of a decision depends on the legal question decided and the scope of the Court's holding. Surplus A budget surplus occurs when government revenue exceeds government spending over a defined period. A surplus can reduce the amount of debt the government needs to borrow, but it does not mean the government has no outstanding debt. The result depends on the accounting period and the measure being used. Suspension of the Rules Suspension of the rules is a House procedure for quickly passing broadly supported measures. A bill brought "on suspension" is debated for 40 minutes, cannot be amended on the floor, and requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting to pass — which is why party leaders reserve it for noncontroversial bills, commemorative measures, technical corrections, and widely supported policy items. The House typically takes up suspensions on set days, such as Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Supplemental Appropriation A supplemental appropriation provides additional budget authority outside the regular appropriations process, often to meet an emergency or another need that cannot wait for the next annual funding cycle. Congress must enact the legislation before agencies can spend the newly appropriated funds, subject to the law's terms. Suppression Motion A suppression motion is a defendant's request that a court exclude evidence from trial because it was obtained illegally — typically through a search or seizure that violated the Fourth Amendment. Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g), a person whose property was seized may also move for its return. If the motion succeeds, the suppressed evidence generally cannot be used by the prosecution at trial. Supremacy Clause The Supremacy Clause is Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution. It makes the Constitution, valid federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties the supreme law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state law. Supreme Court The highest court in the United States and the head of the federal judiciary. Established by Article III of the Constitution, it consists of the Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, each nominated by the President and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate, serving during good Behaviour. It has original jurisdiction in a small class of cases and appellate jurisdiction over federal and state cases raising issues of federal law, most of which reach it only if the Justices grant a writ of certiorari. Super PAC A Super PAC is an independent-expenditure-only political committee that may raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other sources to support or oppose candidates, subject to applicable disclosure rules. It may not make contributions directly to candidates or coordinate its independent spending with a candidate’s campaign. Supermajority A supermajority is a voting threshold greater than a simple majority. The required fraction or number depends on the rule or constitutional provision governing the decision. Summary Judgment Summary judgment is a decision a court makes on the basis of the written record — pleadings, affidavits, and evidence submitted by the parties — without a trial. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, it is proper when there is no genuine dispute of material fact, so the only questions are legal ones the judge can decide. The judge does not weigh evidence or judge credibility at this stage; genuine factual disputes must go to a jury. Summons A summons is the formal court document that notifies a defendant that a lawsuit has been filed against them and tells them how and by when to respond. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4, the summons is served together with the complaint, establishing the court's exercise of jurisdiction over the defendant. If the plaintiff fails to serve the summons and complaint within 90 days after filing the complaint, the court may dismiss the action unless the plaintiff shows good cause or the deadline is extended. Sunset Clause A sunset clause is a provision that causes a law, program, authority, or part of a statute to expire on a specified date unless lawmakers extend or renew it. Sunset clauses can require Congress to revisit a policy instead of allowing it to continue indefinitely without further action.