• Law
High School

Which of the following is a characteristic of a majority opinion?

A. The chief justice usually writes the majority opinion if they are a part of the majority.

B. All justices who are a part of the majority are required to write a majority opinion.

C. A majority opinion is only written if the justices are in universal agreement on a case.

D. Justices who are not a part of the majority must eventually agree with the majority opinion.

Answer :

Final answer:

A majority opinion is the statement agreed upon by more than half of the justices in a court case, typically written by the chief justice if they are in the majority. Only one majority opinion is written, and dissenting justices can write their own opinions to express disagreement. Thus, the correct characteristic of a majority opinion is that the chief justice usually writes it if they are part of the majority.


Explanation:

Understanding Majority Opinions

A majority opinion is the official statement of the court that is agreed upon by more than half of the judges deciding a case. The primary characteristics of a majority opinion include:

  1. The chief justice usually writes the majority opinion if they are a part of the majority. This means that if the chief justice votes with the majority, they often have the opportunity to draft the opinion, although they may also assign this task to another justice.
  2. All justices who are a part of the majority are required to write a majority opinion. This statement is incorrect; only one opinion is written as the majority opinion, and it is common for justices in the majority to join or concur with that opinion.
  3. A majority opinion is only written if the justices are in universal agreement on a case.
  4. Justices who are not a part of the majority must eventually agree with the majority opinion.

In fact, dissenting justices can write their own dissenting opinions to express their disagreement. Therefore, the correct characteristic of a majority opinion from the options provided is that the chief justice usually writes it if they are part of the majority, making this the correct answer.


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