Federal Court Systems
Learn more about federal court systems
Some vocabulary you need to know
US Attorney- a government lawyer who prosecutes people accused of breaking federal laws
Magistrate Judge- they decide whether the accused should be held in jail or release on bail
Life Terms- When someone can hold office for as long as they would like
Precedent- Model for other judges to follow in making their own decisions on similar
cases
Opinion- explains the legal thinking behind the courts decision in the case
Remand- sending the case back to the lower court to be tried again
Circuit- The geographic area of a US Court of Appeals
Appellate Jurisdiction- The authority to hear a case appealed from a lower court
Original Jurisdiction- the authority to hear a case for the first time
District Courts- federal courts where trials are held and lawsuits are begun
Court of Appeals- the Federal court that reviews decisions made in the district courts
Inside the court room
Overview of the Federal Court system
Each district court has 2 or more federal judges. Each court appeal has 6 to 27 judges and the Supreme Court has 9 judges.