Federal Court System
Lexi Duley
What is this anyways?
These federal trials take place in district courts and lawsuits are begun. If a person has original jurisdiction, they have the authority to hear the case for the first time. A court of appeals is the federal court that reviews decisions that were made in the district courts. If a person is able to be the first to hear a case that has been appealed from a lower court, it is called appellate jurisdiction. The area of US court appeals geographically is known as a circuit. A nation-wide jurisdiction where the court appeals for the federal circuit is known as thirteenth appeals court. To remand a case, it would need to be sent back to a lower court system to be tried again. When explaining the legal thinking that is behind the decision of the court in a case is known as opinion. It is called a precedent when the court looks back at similar case that have been tried prior to make a decision for the current case. A person who can hold their position in office for as long as they would like to is known as a life-term. A magistrate judge is one who determines whether the tried/accused person is to serve jail time or be able to post bail. A US attorney is a lawyer who prosecutes those who have been accused of breaking a law. US Marshals are able to make arrests, collect fines, and take those convicted to prison.