10.2 - The Organization of the

Federal CourtsVocabulary:

1.Court of Appeals2.Circuit Courts

The Organization of the Federal Courts (cont.)

1. District Courts

2. Courts appeals

3. State Supreme Courts

4. The Supreme Court

5. A few ‘specialized courts’

The Organization of the Federal Courts

• Article III

1. Set up a federal court system ( same as it was over 200 years ago)

2. Did not set up the lower courts• Set up by the States

The District Courts

• 94 District Courts across the USA

• Over 300, 000 cases yearly

• About 80% of the Federal case load

• Each state has at least one, based on population (NY has four

• Judges vary from 1 - 28

The District Courts (cont.)

• Have ‘Original Jurisdiction’

• First to hear the case

• Cases from kidnapping to environmental issues

• Witnesses are called

• Juries decide

• One judge presides and applies the law

The District Courts (cont.)

• WAKE UP!!!!

• Which courts do the bulk of the work in the federal court system??

The Court of Appeals

• Next highest level

• 12 Courts of Appeals (handle appeals from the federal district courts

• Take cases from District Courts in a specific geographical areas

• The Court of Appeals is often called the Circuit Court

The Court of Appeals (cont.)

• A 13th Court is has Appellate Jurisdiction over cases appealed from the Circuit Courts, called the –

• Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

• NO JURY

• NO WITNESSES

• DOES NOT EXAMINE EVIDENCE

The Court of Appeals (cont.)

• INSTEAD –

1. Lawyers of the plaintiff and defendant make arguments in front of a panel of three judges

2. Judges decide to either AFFIRM or REVERSE lower courts decision

3. Not concerned with guilt or innocence, but whether the trial was FAIR and the law was interpreted correctly.

CHECK CHECK!

•How dos the court of appeals arrive at a verdict?? (r.s.s.)

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court (cont.)

• Highest court of the land

• Final court of Appeals for both state and federal court systems

LOOK AT THE MAP ON PAGE 273

RSS FOR:

ANALYZE & APPLY

The Supreme Court (cont.)

Original Jurisdiction in

1. Foreign Gov’ts

2. Disputes between states

3. More about this in 10.3

The Supreme Court (cont.)

Additional Federal Courts:

1. Court of Claims

2. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals

3. Tax Courts

Each established by Congress for special purposes

Appeals (thru Court of Appeals or a higher special court) go to the Supreme Court

Federal Court Judges

• Legislator is open to influence of citizens, interest groups, party, POTUS

• JUDGES ARE IMPARTIAL

• LEGISLATORS – solve broad problems making laws

• JUDGES – solve individual cases, applying law, that define the role of legislators

Federal Court Judges (cont.)

Judges make national, consequential decisions:

1. Appointed by the POTUS/confirmed by Senate

2. Serve life terms (can be impeached)

3. Shoulder greater responsibility – balance rights of individuals with common good of the nation

4. Forced to make decisions the seem fair to one side, but not the other