C-Span plans to air a special broadcast about the United States Supreme Court on October 4th at 9PM. The date is significant because the next day is the first Monday of October - the traditional beginning of the new Supreme Court term. The Court will actively sit until June of the next year.

Even while the Justices are not sitting during the Summer months, they continue to review petitions and take emergency actions as needed for the business of the Court. Each Justice is responsible for receiving petitions for a geographic area - one or more of the 13 Circuit Courts of Appeals.

I expect that the new term in October will begin with a newly confirmed Justice Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice Souter. I disagree with Judge Sotomayor on several points of judicial philosophy, but recognize her intellect and her experience and believe that she is qualified to be confirmed as President Obama's nominee for the Court.

The C-Span special will include comments by each of the Justices and a tour of the building which houses our highest Court.

There are those who feel that the Supreme Court is just another political institution in our flawed national government. I continue to hope that that is not the case. There are Court decisions in our history that I feel bowed to political pressures to our national detriment - but our Supreme Court remains our primary working monument to the Rule of Law and the remarkable document that is our Constitution.

If you want to participate in the debate about the Court and those nine Justices that make up the Court, don't pass up the chance to hear the Justices and to hear about the structural mechanisms and traditions that impact the decisions of the Court. I am embedding the C-Span promo piece for the October 4th Special in the hopes that those of you who see it will make time to view the complete telecast.

My source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4lo5STkx20