Federal Court System

Identify the source of power of the federal courtsName the various levels of federal courts and describe their jurisdictions

LESSON 4-2

GOALS

ORIGINS OF OUR FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM

• Federal courts received their power from the Constitution.

• Article III - The Constitution granted Congress the power to establish inferior courts, as needed, to the U.S. Supreme Court.

• also confers the power to judge certain criminal and civil matters in federal courts

FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM

United States Supreme CourtUnited States

Supreme Court

State Supreme Courts

State Supreme Courts

Specialized Federal Courts

Specialized Federal Courts

Many Federal Agencies

Many Federal Agencies

United States District Courts

United States District Courts

13 United States Courts of Appeals

(12 Circuit Courts)(1 Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit)

13 United States Courts of Appeals

(12 Circuit Courts)(1 Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit)

JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL COURTS

• 3 Levels of Federal courts have general jurisdiction – can hear almost any kind of case– Federal District Courts– Federal Courts of Appeals– U.S. Supreme Court

• Special jurisdiction – hears only one specific type of case

JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL COURTS

• Federal District Courts– Lowest level of federal court with general

jurisdiction– Trial court of the federal system– Original jurisdictions over:

• Federal questions that arise under the Constitution

• Lawsuits between cities of different states, between a U.S. citizen and a foreign nation, or between a U.S. citizen and a citizen of a foreign nation ($75,000 + )

FEDERAL COURTS OF APPEALS

• Appellate jurisdiction over:– District courts– Federal administrative agencies

• No appellate court, not even the USSC, can change the factual determinations of a jury

FEDERAL COURTS OF APPEALS (cont’d)

• 13 Federal courts of appeal– 12 are circuit courts – responsible

for an assigned geographic area– 13th is dedicated to the “federal

circuit”• Handles patent cases appealed out of the

district court• Handles appeals from federal courts with

special jurisdiction

U.S. SUPREME COURT

• Both original and appellate jurisdiction– Original jurisdiction handles:

• Cases affecting ambassadors• Public ministers and consuls

• Most important is it’s exercise of appellate jurisdiction– Cases on appeals from the U.S. Court of

Appeals– Highest courts of the various states.

U.S. SUPREME COURT (cont’d)

• Writ of certiorari – compels the state court to turn over the record of the case to the Supreme Court for review

• Jurisdiction over state supreme court cases is limited– Federal question must arise based on a

federal law or on the U.S. Constitution

• Decisions made by the USSC are final and can only be overturned by the USSC or by an amendment to the Constitution