Discover new kitchen selections
Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
$50.08 with 23 percent savings
List Price: $65.00
FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, April 18
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, April 15. Order within 2 hrs 38 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$50.08 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$50.08
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Eric J. Segall
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges

by Eric J. Segall (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$50.08","priceAmount":50.08,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"50","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"08","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"GGZRh8jd6G4EMZs%2F46sbxoKSnxTyI71xt%2FsHMFq7nkBMkXYt%2FAG3WH5gP13Faa7l5mN6YDOEjnW%2F4XwYziwEL7AiarDmVneqUISbXf%2FRtPsj445OfshnTvX5d2kvhP9gCBsFGcfnHKH6%2Fh4YqZiaimCPDWmEWGExqpPlQFZjtMCSleOJD5VTZb3rGOPFIgYU","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

This book explores some of the most glaring misunderstandings about the U.S. Supreme Court―and makes a strong case for why our Supreme Court Justices should not be entrusted with decisions that affect every American citizen.

Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is Not a Court and its Justices are Not Judges presents a detailed discussion of the Court's most important and controversial constitutional cases that demonstrates why it doesn't justify being labeled "a court of law."

Eric Segall, professor of law at Georgia State University College of Law for two decades, explains why this third branch of the national government is an institution that makes important judgments about fundamental questions based on the Justices' ideological preferences, not the law. A complete understanding of the true nature of the Court's decision-making process is necessary, he argues, before an intelligent debate over who should serve on the Court―and how they should resolve cases―can be held. Addressing front-page areas of constitutional law such as health care, abortion, affirmative action, gun control, and freedom of religion, this book offers a frank description of how the Supreme Court truly operates, a critique of life tenure of its Justices, and a set of proposals aimed at making the Court function more transparently to further the goals of our representative democracy.

Previous slide of product details
  1. ISBN-10
    0313396876
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0313396878
  3. Publisher
    Praeger
  4. Publication date
    February 22, 2012
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6.14 x 0.56 x 9.21 inches
  7. Print length
    240 pages
Next slide of product details

Frequently bought together

Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges
This item: Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges
$50.08
Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 18
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Hope's Ark and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Originalism as Faith
$14.83
Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 18
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book is well-written, and tells background stories about several cases that may be of interest to students and some professors. . . . Supreme Myths may be a good book for undergraduates studying American government, judicial process, or constitutional law. Summing Up: Recommended.” ―Choice

About the Author

Eric J. Segall is professor of law at Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta, where he has been faculty since 1991.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Praeger (February 22, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0313396876
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0313396878
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 0.56 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Eric J. Segall

Eric J. Segall

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
15 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars PRIMO FAST FIVE STAR PERFECTION! RECOMMENDED!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    PRIMO FAST FIVE STAR PERFECTION! RECOMMENDED!
    Helpful
     Report
  • Reuben Ray
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good arguments to support view that supreme court has severe flaws
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Author does very job of supporting main view that supreme court is really not operating like a court and that its' justices are really not acting like judges. Author uses example after example to explain why the above is true. I am now firmly convinced that the supreme court is just another special arm of our legislature that is politically, not publicly, motivated. The only criticism I have of this book is that it seems to be directed at the legal community (people practicing law or studying law) and not to a layman like me. Overall a good book that teaches a lot and makes its' point well.
    9 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kathleen Dalheim
    5.0 out of 5 stars I bought it as a gift so I can't comment ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I bought it as a gift so I can't comment on the content. But the gift went over extremely well!
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for those interested in the Supreme court
    Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2017
    This book is a great read. I haven't thought about the author's thesis before, but it makes a lot of sense. The court's decisions are based on a lot of factors that have nothing to do with their understanding of the law. Some of the solutions proposed are great ways to solve that problem.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Ph03n1x
    5.0 out of 5 stars Supremely Done
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
    Professor Eric Segall's book is an educating and eye-opening read to how our Court actually operates. It is apparent that Segall knows the material; he was able to repeatedly demonstrate how the Justices are not as judicial as they should be and provided good proposals as to how the Court could change for the better. I highly recommend this book to anyone (whether it is a gift for a lawyerly friend or for their own reading collection) who wants to know more about the Supreme Court, whether they are looking for a synopsis on any of the current controversial issues or for a compelling argument on why the decisions are so often 5-4 with the Justices almost always grouping together. Well done and well written.
    13 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jan Cornelius
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The author presents a readable, compelling case for his thesis that the Court is seriously flawed, and provides reasonable suggestions for fixing it.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • William
    4.0 out of 5 stars This Is An Informative Book About The Supreme Court
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
    This is an informative book about the Supreme Court. Some of the interesting facts that the author of this book mentions includes the following information: The resolution of an issue will depend on who is on the Court when the issue is decided. Life-tenured Justices reach decisions based on their personal policy procedures. The Court decisions are based more on personal value judgements than legal reasoning. The Supreme Court is free to change its prior decisions, and thus, the laws, as it seems fit, and does so frequently. The Justices themselves have little incentive to be transparent about the job they do.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Bronx Book Guy
    3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Really Fulfill Its Mandate
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2018
    I'm disappointed in this book and not because I don't really agree with his bottom line. I'm sympathetic with his concern that the Supreme Court has too much discretion and discretion that is not "legal" as much as policy motivated.

    He argues that (this is useful to underline) in the area of constitutional law -- at least outside of matters courts have special call to have expertise over (so a chunk of the Bill of Rights -- the criminal justice amendments basically -- aren't covered) -- the Supreme Court doesn't really act like a court. It has and uses discretion, not reliant on precedent, gets to choose its own cases and the deciding factor all too often is personal ideology. He provides various case studies such as race, guns and abortion. A liberal, he is evenhanded, believing Roe v. Wade wrongly decided.

    I find the whole thing an incomplete argument. First, it needed a chapter that put forth arguments by others justifying the current usage of judicial review. Second, it is unclear to me how different really lower court judges are (other than discretion, but the difference between Brett Kavanaugh vs. a liberal court of appeals judge still is quite significant). Third, there still are various limits on justices in practice.

    [To flesh out the last point. First, others have to apply the judgments here, so judges don't simply have carte blanche -- the whole neither sword or purse comment by Hamilton. Second, justices are creatures of their times to some extent and community, and simply doing whatever they want will cause difficulties. A judge grows out of a certain milieu, so to speak, and it affects their mindset. Third, if justices go TOO far, there is a chance for amendment or legislative action to restrain the courts. And, judges are part of collegial panels and have a tendency to work together and compromise. Thus, even in Bush v. Gore, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not as blunt as she might have been, according to one account, because Scalia challenged her. Other restraints probably can be cited.]

    Finally, the stopping point is unclear -- it would be helpful to suggest cases (other than Brown v. Bd., which don't really meet his test either -- it seems OBVIOUS now, but it wasn't then) that did meet his strict test (only very clear-cut cases of unconstitutionality should be overturned by the courts). Personally, I think Roe v. Wade fits the rule -- it protects basic equality as well as other express and implied constitutional rights & the case for it is rather clear. Again, people do disagree, but strong disagreement alone isn't enough -- Brown at the time was very open to debate, depended on part on who was on the Supreme Court, was applied using matters of policy as much as law etc.

    I think he does make his case enough to make the book useful especially since current assumptions warrant pushback. For instance, life tenure is open to question. OTOH, the book would greatly be improved by additions, including comparisons to foreign alternatives to show what a true supreme COURT would look like. The author is on Twitter and at Dorf on Law.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report