C H A P T E R 1 8
S E C T I O N 2

What is the subject of the article? Whom does the speak represent? What is the cartoonist saying will happen?

 Criminal case: a case in which a defendant is tried for committing a crime as defined by the law
 Civil case: noncriminal cases (e.g., contract disputes; suit seeking damages for harm caused by
D)

 What does the term inferior mean?
 What does the phrase inferior courts describe?

 **The inferior constitutional courts are those courts
Congress creates under its Article III powers.**


In your notes, fill in the boxes (as shown on the board) with the appropriate inferior constitutional court.
 Also, give me a definition of a constitutional court; 3 examples; 3 nonexamples. Tell me which circuit TN is in.

Take around 10 minutes.

Once finished compare your chart with the person next to you to see if you have the same results; if not, determine which one is correct.

 These are you federal trial courts. There are 94 U.S. district courts and they have original jurisdiction over most federal civil and criminal cases.
 677 judges handle more than 350,000 cases per year, about 80% of the federal caseload.
 Around 80% of federal cases begin in district courts.

 Handle both criminal and civil matters.
 In federal criminal matters, the U.S. is always a party, i.e., the prosecutor (U.S. v. Foreman). The
U.S.’s name will always appear first in the style of the case.
 Example of civil cases: personal injury; copyright disputes; violate a constitutional right…

 Congress created these courts to relieve the SC of the burden of hearing every appeal from the district courts.
 These are courts of appellate jurisdiction over the district courts within their circuit; they also hear appeals from certain special courts such as the U.S.
Tax Courts.

 The country is divided into 12 judicial circuits, which includes the DC Court of Appeals; the Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuits is the 13 th circuit.
 Cases are usually heard in front of a 3-judge panel.

They do not conduct trials or accept new evidence.
They review the case record and written/oral arguments.

 Know that this federal trial court tries all civil cases that arise out of the nation’s customs and other tariff/trade-related laws.
 Appeals from the court go to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuits.

 A citizen is accused of counterfeiting. Where does the case begin (i.e., which court)? Is this a criminal or civil matter?
 Assuming the case is appealed, where would the case go next?

 An American importer of fish claims that the U.S.
Dept. of Commerce placed an unusually high tariff on fillets from Vietnam. Where does this case begin?
 The case is lost by the American importer and then appealed. Where does this case go next?

 An Ohio company claims that a Florida company produced an identical product and files for copyright infringement, seeking damages. Where does this case begin? What type of case is this?

The Ohio company loses the case and appeals. Where does this case go next?

 Federal Court System