The Federal Court System
Maggie Langston
Courts
Supreme court justices, court of appeals justices, and district court judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the United States Senate. -District Courts: Considered the trial courts of the federal court system. Have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases such as civil and criminal cases. -Court of Appeals: Judical districts are organized into circuits (geographic area of a US court of appeals). Hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit.
US Marshall and Attorney
*US Marshall: Makes arrests, collects fines, takes convicted people to prison. *US Attorney: A government lawyer who prosecutes people accused of breaking Federal Laws.
Jurisdictions
*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.
Magistrate Judge
They decide whether the ccused should be held in jail or release on bail.
Life Terms
When someone can hold office for as long as they would like.
Precedent, Opinion and Remand
*Precedent: Model for other judges to follow in making their own decisions on similar cases. *Opinion: Explains the legal thinking behind the court's decisions in the case. *Remand: Sending the case back to the lower court to be tried again.
8. Overview of the Federal Court System