THE SUPREME COURTS
1. 9 justices - 1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Judges 2. Hear cases that resolve conflicts among states, interpreting national laws, maintain national supremacy in law |
COURTS OF APPEAL
1. Divided into 12 judicial circuits 2. Usually has a panel of 3 judges to hear a case (178 judges in total) 3. Have appellate jurisdiction 4. These cases don't look for guilt or innocence, but look to correct errors made at the District level |
DISTRICT COURTS
1. 91 total District courts - at least 1 in each state 2. 678 total judges 3. Have original jurisdiction 4. They are the only federal courts that hold trials 5. Hear around 350,000 cases a year - Types of cases they hear: federal crime, civil suits between citizens of different states, bankruptcy, maritime law, naturalization, etc. |
types of cases
participants in cases
1. Litigants - Plaintiffs vs Defendent
2. Attorneys - over 1 million currently practicing
3. Interest Groups - seek out litigants to challenge laws
2. Attorneys - over 1 million currently practicing
3. Interest Groups - seek out litigants to challenge laws