The Justice System
The U.S system for dealing with law breakers
U.S District Courts
These federal courts are where the first trials are held. They hear both civil and criminal cases. A district court has jurisdiction over a surrounding area. These courts are the only courts with juries and witnesses. In a district court trial there are usually two judges a defendant a prosecutor and a jury.
U.S Appeals Courts
A U.S court that deals with appeals of from the verdicts of district court. It is not there job to decide if the defendant is innocent or guilty but if the trial is fair. There is a board of judges that looks over the facts and hears from both sides. They then decide if the case should be retried orthe original verdict held up. These decisions are final except in the few cases in which the defendant appeals to the supreme court. These courts cover an area called a circuit. There are thirteen of these courts. One of them has jurisdiction over the entire united states.
The Supreme Court
This is the highest level of the U.S justice system. The Supreme Court decides whether a law is constitutional or not. They have the power to override the senate and the president. They are also responsible for upholding the laws of senate. The Supreme Court can also be called into action if someone appeals against a appeals court. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the Entire U.S