How Federal Courts Work
Cameron Owle
Marshall – Makes arrests, collects fines, takes convicted people to prison. Also, protects jurors, keeps order in court, and servers subpoenas.
US Attorney – A government lawyer who prosecutes people accused of breaking federal law
Magistrate Judge – They decide whether accused people should be held in jail or released on bail. They do the judges’ routine work and hear preliminary evidence to determine whether the case should go to trial.
Life Terms – When someone can hold office for as long as they would like
Precedent – Model for other judges to follow in marking their own decisions on similar cases
Opinion – Explains the legal thinking behind the court’s decision in the case
Remand – Send the case back to the lower court to be tried again
Circuit – A geographic area of a US Court of Appeals
Appellate Jurisdiction – The authority to hear a sase appealed from a lower court
Original Jurisdiction – The authority to hear a case for the first time
District Courts – Federal courts where trials and held and lawsuits are begun
Court of Appeals – The Federal court that reviews decisions made in the district courts.