Final answer:
A Writ of Certiorari is a request to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal, and four justices must agree to grant the Writ for the appeal to be heard. The issuance of the Writ does not guarantee the requesting party will win. Writs are often granted when there's a significant legal question or conflicting lower court decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer regarding a Writ of Certiorari is that it is a request by a party to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the appeal (option a). A Writ of Certiorari is an order by the Supreme Court for a lower court to send up its record of the case so the high court may review it.
The issuance of the writ does not imply that the party requesting the Writ will win the appeal; it merely allows the Supreme Court to consider the case formally.
When it comes to deciding whether to grant a Writ of Certiorari, the Supreme Court's Rule 10 outlines the considerations, such as existing conflicts between lower court decisions on the matter.
The Supreme Court exercises significant discretion when choosing cases to hear. If the writ is granted, it is because at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices, known as the Rule of Four, have agreed to accept the case for review.
The Court is more likely to grant a writ when there is a significant question of law or a constitutional issue that needs resolution or when lower courts have provided conflicting interpretations on the same legal matter. The Court also considers briefs and amicus curiae submissions in its decision-making process.