REVIEW H

Focus on the federal court system, which operates under a dual court system (federal and state).
Structure:
- Trial Courts: Bottom level, known as courts of original jurisdiction.
- Intermediate Courts of Appeal: Middle level, known as courts of public jurisdiction.
- Courts of Last Resort: Top level, serves as the court of final jurisdiction.

District Courts:
- Function as trial courts with original jurisdiction in every state and territory.
Circuit Courts of Appeals:
- Intermediate appellate courts that hear cases in 13 geographical circuits plus one federal circuit.
Supreme Court of the United States:
- Acts as the court of last resort in the federal system based on the supremacy clause.
- Oversees lower courts, holds ultimate appellate jurisdiction.
Useful to understand that there is at least one federal district court in every state, although some states have multiple districts.

-Definition of Jurisdiction: Refers to a court's authority or area of authority to make legal judgments.

Types of Jurisdiction:
- Original Jurisdiction: Courts where cases are first tried (trial courts).
- Appellate Jurisdiction: Courts that review decisions by lower courts (appeal courts).

Jurisdiction is determined by the nature of the crime and its location.
- Example: Jaywalking is a state crime; committing a federal crime (like drug trafficking) qualifies for federal jurisdiction.
Cases move through the court system based on the complexity and errors needing correction.

Constitutional Law: Primary legal framework governing principles and institutions of the U.S.
Statutory Law: Laws created by legislative bodies (statutes).
Precedent: Law established through judicial decisions, which guide future decisions (part of common law tradition).

Stare Decisis: Latin phrase meaning "let the decision stand"; judges rely on previous rulings to make consistent decisions.
- Horizontal Precedent: Judges at the same level look at decisions made in similar cases.
- Vertical Precedent: Lower courts follow decisions set by higher courts in the hierarchy.

Establishes facts of a case and applies the law to those facts.
The only level of the court system dealing with factual determinations is the trial court.
Facts determined at trial courts set the legal precedent unless a new trial is held.

Civil Law:
- Cases are filed by plaintiffs (individuals or groups seeking compensation from another party).
- Case names generally include the parties (e.g., Smith v. Jones).
Criminal Law:
- Cases are prosecuted by the government (state or federal) against a defendant.
- Case names commonly begin with the state or government name (e.g., State v. Doe).

The burden of proof differs:
- In criminal cases, the standard is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
- In civil cases, it is "preponderance of the evidence."
Penalties vary:
- Criminal penalties include incarceration, fines, or even death.
- Civil remedies usually involve financial compensation.

Definition: A legal order prohibiting specific actions pending a judicial decision, often used as a preventive measure in litigation.
Example of injunction in a hypothetical context involving government action (e.g., deployment of federal troops).

Supreme Court of the United States consists of nine justices serving primarily as a court of appeals.
Serves under its discretionary docket allowing it to choose which cases to hear.
Rule of Four: If four justices agree to hear a case, it progresses to consideration (writ of certiorari).

Steps after granting certiorari include:
- Submission of Legal Briefs: Parties present their arguments and legal standpoints in concise documents.
- Oral Arguments: Presentations and Q&A sessions occur before justices.
- Majority Opinion: Final judgment issued explaining the court's decision and legal reasoning underlying the outcome.