The Organization of the Federal Courts

1. The Organization of the Federal Courts PowerPoint Review of the Judicial Branch

2. Although the Judicial Branch was set up under Article Three of the Constitution, there were very few structures put into place within the document. The Supreme Court was the only clearly defined court for the federal government. Therefore, the First Congress was charged with the task of filling in the details. The Judiciary Act created all of the district courts and courts of appeal in the United States. The Judiciary Act of 1789

3. There are ninety-four (94) district courts scattered across the United States of America. • Together, they handle close to 300,000 cases per year. • Every state has it’s own Federal District Court – even tiny little Wyoming with it’s 600,000 residents. • Some more populous states have as many as four (4) district courts to handle the large number of suits. The District Courts

4. The Courts of Appeals

5. The Courts of Appeals, or Circuit Courts, are twelve in number – the DC Circuit Court was not clearly labeled on the map below. • There is also a thirteenth court – the Court of Appeals for the Federal Court – which handles special cases and has a unique jurisdiction. 12 The Courts of Appeals

6. The Circuit Courts

7. The thirteenth Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from certain special federal courts and agencies. • Some of the issues include patent law or highly technical cases which require unique expertise on the part of the judges. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

8. There are three (3) judges who make decisions. • The judges do not consider evidence. There is not a jury or any witnesses to cross-examine. • The only concern of the Appeals Court is to determine whether or not justice was served in the case. The Structure of the Court of Appeals

9. The judges will decide either – (a) to affirm the lower court’s decision; in essence, to agree with their ruling, or (b) to reverse the ruling. • The Court of Appeals is not at all concerned with the guilt of innocence of the accused. • The Court of Appeals rules on whether the original trial was fair and whether or not the lower courts interpreted the law correctly. The Duty of the Circuit Court

10. The State of Virginia is located within the Fourth Circuit, along with Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. • The Fourth Circuit is one of the busiest courts in the nation. • Recently a controversy erupted between President Obama and the Congress when Congressional leaders refused to approve three appointments of the President to the Court. The Fourth (4th) Circuit

11. The Ninth Circuit covers the Western portion of the United States, including the nations most populous state (California) and the two non-contiguous states: Alaska and Hawaii. It also includes territories of the United States like Guam and American Samoa. The Ninth (9th) Circuit

12. The First, Second, and Third Circuit Courts are all relatively small in terms of geography, but they are extremely populous. The First Court includes the metropolitan area surrounding Boston; the Second includes the metro area around New York City, and the Third includes Philadelphia’s metro area – along with all of New Jersey! The Circuit Courts – Populations and Circuits

13. The major purpose of the Supreme Court is to serve as the final court of appeals for both the state and the federal court systems. A Supreme Court ruling cannot be appealed; their decisions are final! The Supreme Court

14. Cases involving representatives of foreign governments. • Cases involving disputes between state governments. The Supreme Court claims original jurisdiction in very few cases, indeed. But the kinds of cases they have original jurisdiction over are these… Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

15. A judges role in government is to be impartial. • A judge should not favor one party or the other – although many are Republicans or Democrats. • Judges apply the law to specific cases and in doing so help to define and clarify the purpose and intention of the law. Federal Court Judges

16. All federal judges, including the justices of the Supreme Court, are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. • Judges serve for life during times of good behavior. • Judges may only be removed from office by the impeachment process. During the Obama Administration, members of the Senate obstructed the President from appointing judges to the Fourth Circuit. As a result, the workload of the judges and the progress – or speed – of the Circuit was slowed down considerably. Recently the Senate and the President were able to resolve their differences and three judges appointed by Obama were confirmed by the United States Senate. Selecting Federal Judges