federal state courts

jurisdiction

 typically refers to the legal authority or power of a court to hear, pronounce on, and decide a case

4 types of jurisdiction

• Personal jurisdiction 

• Subject matter jurisdiction

• Geographical jurisdiction 

• Hierarchical jurisdiction: criminal trial

subject matter jurisdiction

 two kinds of divisions, specific and general jurisdiction.

original jurisdiction

 all courts make decisions of law, are all charges appropriate? Can a person testify? The judge is the sole decision maker to the law.

appellate court

questions might be slightly different, Use decisions of facts which is the most powerful in cases. Guilt or not guilt, this is a decision of fact not law. You have to interpret the facts.

federal court system

*District courts

• Federal trial courts 

• 94 district courts in total 

• Magistrate judges 

• Each state has one 

• District courts never cross state boundaries 

• criminal/civial law 

• Local flavor of law, each state has different flavors

federal circuit court of appeal

• 13 federal circuit courts in total 

• 11 allocated to states 

• DC circuit 

• Federal circuit ( specific subject matter) 

• Washington is the 9th circuit

• Most people consider the DC circuit the second most important court in the US

United States Supreme Court

• Federal court of last resort 

Discretionary Docket 

• Writ of certiorari 

• Rule of four 

• Nine justice ( chief justice and eight associate justice) 

Focus: legal policy- not individual justice