The Federal Court System

The Federal Court System

Section 1: The National Judiciary

• Purpose of National Judiciary

  • Created by the framers in Article III of the Constitution.

  • Establishes a dual court system: national judiciary and state courts.

• Structure of National Judiciary

  • Comprised of:

  • Supreme Court: Established by the Constitution.

  • Inferior Courts: Lower federal courts created by Congress.

    • Types:

    1. Constitutional Courts: General federal courts.

    2. Special Courts: Specialized cases.

• Jurisdiction of Federal Courts

  • Jurisdiction Definition: Authority to hear and decide cases.

  • Constitution allows federal courts to hear cases based on:

  1. Subject Matter

  2. Parties Involved

• Types of Jurisdiction:

  • Exclusive Jurisdiction: Certain cases can only be heard in federal courts.

  • Concurrent Jurisdiction: Cases may be heard in either federal or state courts.

  • Original Jurisdiction: Courts that first hear a case.

  • Appellate Jurisdiction: Courts that hear appeals from lower courts. Supreme Court has both types of jurisdiction.

• Appointment of Judges

  • Judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

  • Candidates often include attorneys, legal scholars, and former Congress members.

• Terms and Pay of Judges

  • Life appointments for judges in constitutional courts; removal through impeachment only.

  • Special courts have judges appointed for terms ranging from 4 to 15 years.

  • Salaries set by Congress.

• Court Officers

  • United States Magistrates: Handle various duties like issuing warrants.

  • Bankruptcy Judges: Appointed to each district.

  • U.S. Attorneys: Nominees approved by the Senate, manage federal prosecutions.

  • U.S. Marshals: Manage law enforcement, appointed by the President with Senate approval.

Section 2: The Inferior Courts

• Federal District Courts

  • 94 judiciary districts across the U.S., each state has at least one.

  • Jurisdiction: Original jurisdiction over most cases including civil and criminal.

  • Criminal cases involve federal crimes.

• The Courts of Appeals

  • Comprised of 12 courts with appellate jurisdiction only.

  • Established in 1891 to lessen Supreme Court's case load.

• Other Constitutional Courts

  • Court of International Trade: Cases relating to trade laws.

  • Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: Nationwide jurisdiction for specific cases from various courts.

Section 3: The Supreme Court

• Judicial Review

  • Authority to interpret the constitutionality of government actions established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

• Supreme Court Jurisdiction

  • Holds both original and appellate jurisdiction.

  • Original jurisdiction covers cases with states or ambassadors; mostly appellate.

• Case Selection

  • Requires agreement of four out of nine justices to hear a case (Writ of Certiorari or certificate).

• Operation

  • Oral Arguments: Lawyers present their case; briefs are submitted prior to this.

  • Conference: Justices discuss the case; Chief Justice leads it.

  • Opinions: Written after decisions are made; forms basis for legal precedents.

Section 4: The Special Courts

• Court of Federal Claims

  • Handles claims against the U.S. government for redress.

• Territorial Courts

  • Established for territories similar to state courts (e.g. Guam, Virgin Islands).

• D.C. Courts

  • Manage local judicial matters (civil, criminal, family law).

• U.S. Tax Court

  • Established in 1969 to resolve tax disputes, decisions appealable to federal appellate courts.

• Military Appeals Courts

  • Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces: Reviews military trial convictions.

  • Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: Handles claims by veterans against the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Section Reviews

• Review questions for each section affirm understanding of key concepts like the nature and structure of the federal court system, appointment and roles of judges, and jurisdiction definitions.