Lower Federal CourtsSection 2

The Federal Courts and the Judicial BranchChapter 8

Reading Focus• What are the roles, jurisdiction, and officers of the federal district courts?• What are the roles, jurisdiction, and procedures of the federal courts of

appeals?• What are the functions of some of the other federal courts?

Main IdeaCongress has created a system of lower courts for the federal judicial system. Each court has a specific role to play in the judicial branch.

Lower Federal Courts

The Jurisdiction of District Courts

• Constitutional mandate cases involving foreign governments, residents of different states be handled in district court

• Federal violations: from violation of employment laws to handled in district courts

• Panels of citizens called grand juries hear evidence in serious criminal cases.

• District courts have separate bankruptcy court

Court Officials• Judge is court’s highest

official; judges instruct juries about law, make sure proper trial procedures are followed

• Magistrate judges oversee early hearings in criminal trials, also hear civil cases or minor criminal cases called misdemeanors

• Clerks of the court handle non-judicial tasks, maintaining records

Federal District Courts

The 94 federal court districts handle more than 300,000 cases per year.

Other Courtroom Officials• Each federal court district has a U.S. attorney to represent the U.S.

government.• U.S. attorneys prosecute individuals charged with federal crimes.• Public defenders are lawyers appointed by court to represent defendants

who lack money to hire their own.• U.S. marshals provide security and police protection at federal courthouses.

Federal District Courts {continued}

Federal Courts of Appeals

Appeals Court Procedure• Most appeals heard by panel of

judges, reviews court record and reads briefs; appeals courts rely on facts of original case, do not retry

• Burden of proof lies with appellant; cases mostly overturned only when improper procedure was followed

Appeals Court Ruling• Court’s ruling usually stands;

occasionally reviewed by larger panel of judges or returned to district court for more hearings

The Federal Circuit• Court of Appeals for Federal

Circuit has nationwide appellate jurisdiction: cases dealing with patents, trademarks, government contracts, international trade

Purpose of the Courts of Appeals

• Appeals courts: middle tier in hierarchy of federal court system

• Hear cases on appeal from district courts within their circuit

• Few appeals succeed

Other Federal Courts

U.S. Tax Court• Hears cases involving federal

tax disputes

U.S. Court of Federal Claims• Hears cases involving disputes

over veterans’ benefits

The Federal Circuit• Hears cases involving claims

over $10,000 owed by U.S. government.

• United States has sovereign immunity

• In some circumstances the government can be sued

U.S. Court of International Trade

• Hears cases involving laws and rules of international trade

National Security Courts• Foreign Intelligence

Surveillance Court reviews requests to spy on “agents of a foreign power” in U.S.

• Alien Terrorist Removal Court reviews requests to remove suspected terrorists from U.S.

Military Commissions• Outside normal judicial system,

rulings may be challenged in federal court

Washington, D.C., and Territorial Courts

• Congress created trial and appellate courts in locations outside federal system

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

• Hears cases involving appeals from courts-martial, or military courts

Other Federal Courts {continued}

Vocabulary

Grand Juries Panels of citizens that hear evidence of a possible crime and recommend whether the evidence is sufficient to file criminal charges

Bankruptcy A legal process by which citizens who cannot pay money they owe others can receive court protection and assistance in settling their financial problems

Magistrate Judges District-Court officials who are appointed for eight years and hear some of the early hearings of criminal trials as well as some misdemeanor and civil cases

Misdemeanor A minor criminal case punishable by one year or less of prison time

Public Defenders Lawyers provided to defendants who cannot afford to hire a lawyer

Vocabulary

Marshals Officials who provide security and police protection at a federal courthouse

Appellant A person who files an appeal to have their case reviewed by a court of appeals

Briefs Written arguments

Sovereign Immunity Principle that a sovereign nation is immune from being sued unless it agrees to being sued

Courts-martial Hearings held by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces to decide cases involving violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice