Jurisdiction and Inferior
Courts
Article III, Section 1
Federal Court System
Constitution created a Supreme Court and
“such inferior courts as the Congress may
from time to time ordain and establish.”
In this context “inferior” means courts less
powerful than the Supreme Court
Judiciary Act of 1789 created the federal
district (trial) courts
There are three layers of federal courts:
Federal District
Federal Court of Appeals
Supreme Court
Jurisdiction
Ability of a court to hear a
case
Types of Jurisdiction
Original: They hear the case first
Exclusive: Federal courts are the only court
who can hear that case. Ex. An
U.S. Ambassador is charged
Concurrent: Both State and Federal Courts
can hear the case. Like disputes among
people of different States. A Federal
Court hears only cases involving more
than $75,000.
Appellate: Hears a case appealed from a
lower court.
Federal Criminal and Civil
Cases
Criminal
Tried for cases
that Congress
has deemed a
crime
Examples:
Kidnapping and
Counterfeiting,
bank robbery,
mail fraud
Civil Cases
Noncriminal
matter
Examples law
suits involving
States,
bankruptcy,
civil rights
FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS
Federal District Courts are the trial
courts of the US (They have a jury
that determines guilt or innocence.)
They were created by the Judiciary
Act of 1789
They have original jurisdiction (first
to hear a case) for federal cases
except those that begin in the
Supreme Court, International Trade,
or special courts
Distinction
Regularly use grand juries and petit
juries
Grand Juries decide if there is
enough evidence to go to trial
Petit Juries decide if the evidence
proves a defendant is Guilty or not
guilty.
Federal Court of Appeals
Middle tier of the Federal Court System
Created by Congress in 1891 to relieve the
Supreme Court of hearing the appeals
(three year backlog on docket)
Twelve courts of appeal with 179 circuit
judges
Usually sit in panels of three judges
en banc – all district judges will sit
Not a trial court! No jury – only judges
Appellate Jurisdiction
Can not have original
jurisdiction
If a Federal District Court
decision is appealed it will go
to the appellate court
Some special court cases can
also be appealed