Levels of the federal court system!
By: Danielle Lucas
Federal court system
Has three main levels.
-District Court (the trial court)
-Appeals Court (first level of appeal)
-Supreme Court (the final level)
-District Court (the trial court)
-Appeals Court (first level of appeal)
-Supreme Court (the final level)
How Federal Courts are Organized
District Courts:
~The federal courts where trials are held and lawsuits are begun (All states have at least one)
Original Jurisdiction:
~The authority to hear the cases for the first time
~The federal courts where trials are held and lawsuits are begun (All states have at least one)
Original Jurisdiction:
~The authority to hear the cases for the first time
Jurisdiction:
- The authority to hear and decide cases
1. If the law is in question of the U.S. constitution
2. If the law is in violation of federal law
3. Disagreement between the state government
4. Lawsuits between citizens and different states
5. U.S. government sues someone or someone sues the U.S government
6. Hears dispute between a foreign government and either the U.S. government or an American private party
7. Martitime laws concerning accidents or crimes on the high areas
8. cases involving U.S. diplomats
Two Other types of jurisdiction
Exclusive Jurisdiction:
~ Only they may hear and decide such
Concurrent Jurisdiction:
~ They share jurisdiction on and are aloud to hear the case.
~ Only they may hear and decide such
Concurrent Jurisdiction:
~ They share jurisdiction on and are aloud to hear the case.
U.S. Court Of Appeals
Appeals Court:
~ Review decisions made in lower district courts
~ Do not hold trials (A panel of judges reviews the case records and listens to arguments from lawyers on both sides.
~ Do not decide guilty, innocent or which side should win a suit
~ They rule only weather the original trial was fair and protected the person's rights
~ Most appeals courts decisions are final
~ A few cases are appeals the the Supreme Court
Appellate jurisdiction:
~ The authority to hear a case appealed from a lower court
Circuit:
~ Each of the U.S. courts of appeals covers a particular geographic area
~ A 13th appeals court, the Court of appeals for the Federal Circuit, has a nationwide jurisdiction
The Judge May Decide Three Things:
~ Review decisions made in lower district courts
~ Do not hold trials (A panel of judges reviews the case records and listens to arguments from lawyers on both sides.
~ Do not decide guilty, innocent or which side should win a suit
~ They rule only weather the original trial was fair and protected the person's rights
~ Most appeals courts decisions are final
~ A few cases are appeals the the Supreme Court
Appellate jurisdiction:
~ The authority to hear a case appealed from a lower court
Circuit:
~ Each of the U.S. courts of appeals covers a particular geographic area
~ A 13th appeals court, the Court of appeals for the Federal Circuit, has a nationwide jurisdiction
The Judge May Decide Three Things:
- Uphold the original decision
- Reverse the decision
- REMAND the case - send it back to the lower court to be tried again.
Supreme Court
The highest federal court in the US, consisting of nine justices and taking judicial precedence over all other courts in the nation
Responsibilities
Judge: A public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law.
Jury: a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.
Jury: a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.