POLS 180 - Article 3, Section 1 and 2

Background to US Government 2022+

Article 3

establishes the last of the three branches of government, the Judiciary

Section 1

• establishes the Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States.

• It also sets the terms of judges, of both the Supreme Court and lower courts: that they serve as long as they are on “good behavior” which usually means for life (no Justice and only a few judges have ever been impeached).

• It also requires that judges shall be paid.

Section 2

1. The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party; to controversies between two or more States; between a State and citizens of another State, between citizens of different States; between citizens of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and between a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects.

2. In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and those in which a State shall be party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all other cases before mentioned the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.

appellate (adj,): (especially of a court) concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed

• "Appellate" is an adjective referring to matters involving appeals, such as an appellate court that reviews decisions from a lower court or the appellate procedure which outlines the steps for filing an appeal.

3. The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury; and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed.