10.2 - The Organization
of the Federal Courts
Vocabulary:
1. Court of Appeals
2. 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
Original Jurisdiction in
1. Foreign Gov’ts
2. Disputes between states
3. More about this in 10.3
(cont.)
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