Module 6 Lesson 1
Yazmire Witherspoon
District Courts
- The nation’s 94 district or trial courts.
- District courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying legal principles to decide who is right.
- Trial courts include the district judge who tries the case and a jury that decides the case.
- There is at least one district court in each state, and the District of Columbia. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court as a unit of the district court.
- Original Jurisdiction: Authority to hear a case for the first time.
U.S Courts of Appeal
- There are 13 appellate courts
- 12 regional circuits each has a court of appeals.
- The appellate court’s task is to determine whether or not the law was applied correctly in the trial court.
- Appeals courts consist of three judges and do not use a jury.
- Hears challenges to district court decisions from courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies.
- Nationwide jurisdiction: to hear appeals in specialized cases
- Appellate Jurisdiction: to hear a case from a lower court
U.S Supreme Court
- The highest court in the United States.
- Article III of the U.S. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts.
- 94 district level trial courts and 13 courts of appeals sit below the Supreme Court.
Works Cited
- By PresidentChronological History of Authorized Judgeships - Courts of AppealsChronological History of Authorized Judgeships - District CourtsJudicial VacanciesCurrent Judicial VacanciesFuture Judicial VacanciesConfirmation ListingJudicial EmergenciesArchive of Judicial VacanciesJudicial MilestonesJudicial CompensationPathways to the Bench Video SeriesPrivately Funded Seminars DisclosureLog in & Create AccountOverviewStatement of PurposeInstructionsFrequently Asked QuestionsJudicial Conduct & DisabilityFiling a Judicial Misconduct or Disability Complaint Against a Federal JudgeCode of Conduct for U.S. Judges Services . "Court Role and Structure." United States Courts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
"District Court - Google Search." District Court - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
"District Court - Google Search." District Court - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.