the federal court system… jurisdiction original jurisdiction appellate jurisdiction concurrent...

THE Federal Court System…• Jurisdiction• Original

jurisdiction• Appellate

jurisdiction• Concurrent

jurisdiction• Constitutional

courts• District courts• Courts of Appeals• Legislative courts

WHO HEARS THE CASE?...jurisdiction

• Federal law• Treaties• Interpretation of the

ConstitutionSupreme Court

5th Circuit Ct of Appeals

Dallas Lower Federal Court

STRUCTURE – Judiciary Act 1789

Constitutional• Article III• Fed courts• Supreme Court• District courts 80%• Courts of Appeals• Ct of App for 5th Cir• US ct of Int’l Trade

Legislative• special/narrow• Territorial cts• US Tax Court• US Ct of Appeals for

the Armed Forces • Cases fr Article I

Judiciary Act of 1789 94 district courts (Ec state has 1)13 cts of appeal (1891)

94

Your book has it listed at 91…we have added 3 since printing!!!

http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/UnderstandingtheFederalCourts/CourtofAppeals.aspx

Only court established by the Constitution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3/26/2012

Chief RobertsBush 2005 (57)

KennedyReagan 1988(75)

GinsbergClinton 1993(79)

Scalia!!!!***Reagan 1986(76)

ThomasBush Sr 1991(63)

SotomayorObama 2009 (57)

BreyerClinton 1994 (73)

AlitoBush 2006 (62) Kagan

Obama 2010 (51)

Obama 2Clinton 2Bush Sr 1Bush Jr 2Reagan 2

HIGHEST COURT IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEMORIGINAL & APPELLATE JURISDICTIONSTRONG IMPACT ON SOCIAL, ECON, & POLITICALSIZE SET BY CONGRESS IN 1869NOMINATED BY POTUS / CONFIRMED BY SENATE

Politics of Judicial Selection• Senate MUST confirm by majority

vote “during good behavior” – for life!

• Senatorial Courtesy• POTUS fails 20% of time • CONGRESS sets size • (9 in 1869 = same today)

52-48

52-48

Backgrounds…5-4 (R)• Lawyers, white men (6)• >90% same party• “pack the courts”• 1st Mon in Oct – July• Rule of Four

POTUSJohnson

POTUSReagan

PartyPhilosophyRaceGenderReligionRegionExperience“Litmus test”Acceptability: ABA, IGs, & other justices

O’Connor (1981)Ret @ 76 (2006)

Marshall (1967)Ret @ 83 (1991)Died 1993

Which cases?

• RULE OF FOURFew hundred are heardMost denied

• BRIEF ORDERSReturned to lower courtRecently related case

• WRIT OF CERTIORARISup Ct orders a lower court to send up the records of a case for review; interpret law OR decide a Constitutional question

• CERTIFICATELower court may ask the Sup Ct about a rule of law or procedures in specific cases

#7C & #7D

1. Briefs & Oral Arguments2. Research & Conferences3. Writing Opinions

• BRIEF• AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF• LAW CLERKS• PRIVATE MEETINGS• INFORMAL POLL• WRITTEN DECISION…

OPINIONS1. MAJORITY OPINION:

Chief Justice selects who will write

2. CONCURRING OPINION3. DISSENTING OPINION:

Most senior justice of majority selects who writes if Chief is with the minority opinion.

4. PRECEDENTS: standards/guides to be followed in similar cases in the future

Courts as Policy Makers• WARREN COURT (1953-1969) – most liberal court ever

Brown v Board (1954)Gideon v Wainwright (1963) (attorney)Miranda v AZ (1966) (rights)

• BURGER COURT (1969-1986) – conservative ideology

Roe v Wade (1973)US v Nixon (1974) (EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE)Regents of CA v Bakke (1978) (quotas, but kept affirmative action)

Courts as Policy Makers• REHNQUIST & ROBERTS COURT (1986-present) – also

conservativePlanned Parenthood v Casey (1992)

*In 2007, the Roberts Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003 in Gonzales v. Carhart (method NOT access)

UNDERSTANDING THE COURTS

• Judicial Selection: POTUS/Senate - “during good behavior” – Senatorial Courtesy

• Supreme Court: What POTUS considers• Majority/Concurring/Dissenting OPINIONS• NEW DEAL ERA!!!!!!!!: laws designed to end the

Depression & court said unconstitutional (too conservative) FDR’s ‘court packing plan’ or ‘the switch in time to save nine’

• Judicial Philosophy: Activism vs Restraint