Legal Disputes: The Buffalo Creek Case

It is good that most disputes are settled before reaching the Supreme Court because like previously stated, the Supreme Court does not have the capacity to decide on every legal dispute. In fact, an extremely small portion of cases reach this level because this legal of jurisdiction is for the most controversial and influential cases. Many cases are settled before even going to an actual trial. This allows the courtroom workforce to save time, money, and the effort of a tedious trial. In the Buffalo Creek Case, the ability to settle before going to trial ensured that the victims of the disaster would receive the most money they could without waiting out even longer for a trial.

Under what conditions should you recuse yourself?

Though Supreme
Court Justices are their own final arbiters, and therefore make their own decisions about when to recuse themselves or not. However, justices and judges should recuse themselves when there exists a conflict of interests, and extreme personal bias or connection (used to work on the case or if they or their families have a financial interest). Any time money or family is too close to the case, or they had previous experience with a case that would impede their judgment, a justice should recuse themselves. Justice Elena Kagan, for example, has recused herself in multiple cases because she used to serve as U.S. solicitor general and already had some opinions on the cases being brought before the Supreme Court.