A minimum of five justice votes must be included for what type of opinion to be issued?
A) concurrent opinion
B) per curiam opinion
C) majority opinion
D) dissenting opinion
C) majority opinion
The correct answer is C) majority opinion.
In order for a majority opinion to be issued, a minimum of five justice votes are required. This means that at least five out of the nine justices on the Supreme Court must agree on a particular outcome and the reasoning behind it. The majority opinion represents the official decision of the Court on a given case and sets the legal precedent for future cases.
The type of opinion that requires a minimum of five justice votes to be issued is the "C) majority opinion." To understand this, let me break down the different types of opinions and explain how they are formed.
1. Concurrent Opinion: A concurrent opinion is written by one or more justices who agree with the outcome of the case but have different reasons or legal interpretations. It does not require a minimum number of justice votes and can be issued whenever a justice chooses to write one.
2. Per Curiam Opinion: A per curiam opinion is a brief, unsigned opinion issued collectively by the court. It does not indicate which justices supported it, and it typically presents a unanimous decision reached by the court. Similar to the concurrent opinion, it does not require a minimum number of justice votes.
3. Majority Opinion: The majority opinion is written by one justice who represents a majority of the justices' votes. It outlines the decision, reasoning, and legal principles applied in the case. For a majority opinion to be issued, it should be supported by a minimum of five votes from the justices.
4. Dissenting Opinion: A dissenting opinion is written by one or more justices who disagree with the majority's decision. It presents the minority's viewpoint and arguments. Similar to the concurrent and per curiam opinions, a dissenting opinion does not require a minimum number of votes.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is C) majority opinion, which necessitates a minimum of five justice votes for it to be issued.