Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution established two court systems: the federal court system and the state court system. The federal court system was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, which was signed by President Washington. This act created a national judiciary, which was considered one of the most important tasks of the new nation. The federal court system includes the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the US, as well as 13 appellate courts, 94 district courts, and bankruptcy courts. The state court system, on the other hand, includes state supreme courts and other state-level courts. The Constitution also authorized Congress to establish federal district and appellate courts and to structure the Supreme Court.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Supreme Court justices | 9 (8 associate justices and 1 chief justice) |
| Appointment of justices | Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate |
| Term of justices | Life term |
| Removability of justices | Justices may be removed by impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate |
| Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court | Original jurisdiction over certain cases, e.g., suits between two or more states, and appellate jurisdiction over almost any other case involving a point of constitutional and/or federal law |
| Powers of the Supreme Court | Power of judicial review, i.e., the ability to declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution |
| Federal court system | Established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, consisting of 13 appellate courts (U.S. courts of appeals) and 94 district or trial courts (U.S. district courts) |
| Circuit courts | Eastern, middle, and southern circuits, consisting of various districts |
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What You'll Learn
The US Supreme Court
The US Constitution established one federal court: the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the US judicial system. It has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or those brought in state court but dealing with federal law.
The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices—eight associate justices and one chief justice. Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They typically hold office for life and their salaries cannot be decreased during their term. These restrictions are designed to protect the judiciary's independence from political branches of government.
The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over certain cases, such as suits between two or more states and cases involving ambassadors. It also has appellate jurisdiction over almost any other case involving a point of constitutional and/or federal law. The Certiorari Act of 1925 gives the Court discretion to decide whether or not to hear a case on appeal.
The Supreme Court plays a crucial role in the US constitutional system of government. It is the court of last resort for those seeking justice. Through its power of judicial review, the Court ensures that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its power. It protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution. Additionally, it sets limits on democratic government by preventing popular majorities from passing laws that harm or take undue advantage of unpopular minorities.
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Federal and state courts
The US Constitution established one federal court: the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the American judicial system and has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or those brought in state court but dealing with federal law. The Supreme Court also has the power of judicial review, which means it can declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution.
The US Constitution also authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower federal courts. Congress has established federal district and appellate courts, including 13 appellate courts that sit below the US Supreme Court, known as the US Courts of Appeals. The US Courts of Appeals determine whether the law was applied correctly in the trial court or federal administrative agency. The nation's 94 district or trial courts are called US district courts, which resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying the law to those facts. There are also 90 US bankruptcy courts.
The US Constitution also allowed for the establishment of state courts. State courts are independent of federal courts and can judge state laws that violate the state constitution. State courts are important because they can be more accessible to citizens due to their proximity, and they can provide jury trials, which are protected rights of defendants when the jury is drawn from the local community.
The federal court system was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, which was signed by President Washington. This Act gave the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus, or legal orders compelling government officials to act in accordance with the law. The Judiciary Act also addressed questions raised by Article III of the US Constitution, which deals with the judiciary branch of government but is notably shorter than the articles creating the legislative and executive branches.
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District courts
The US Constitution established one federal court: the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the American judicial system and has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or those brought in state court but dealing with federal law. The Supreme Court also has the power of judicial review, which allows it to declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution.
Article III of the US Constitution also authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts. Congress has established 94 district or trial courts, also called US district courts. Each district court has at least one US district judge, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a life term. District courts handle trials within the federal court system – both civil and criminal. They resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying the law to those facts. Some tasks of the district court are given to federal magistrate judges, who are appointed by the district court by a majority vote of the judges and serve for a term of eight years if full-time and four years if part-time.
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Circuit courts
The US Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established a system of circuit courts to serve as trial courts for most federal criminal cases, suits between citizens of different states, and civil suits initiated by the United States.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 arranged the judicial districts of the eleven existing states into three circuits: the Eastern, Middle, and Southern. The Eastern Circuit consisted of the districts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. The Middle Circuit included New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The Southern Circuit was made up of the districts of South Carolina and Georgia. Each circuit held two courts annually, known as Circuit Courts, consisting of two Supreme Court justices and the district judge of such districts.
Over time, as the Union of states grew, Congress expanded the number of circuits and increased the size of the Supreme Court to provide a justice for assignment to each circuit. In 1801, Congress established six federal judicial circuits, each with its own circuit court, and relieved the Supreme Court justices of any circuit court responsibilities. In 1855, Congress created the U.S. Circuit Court for the California Circuit, but this court and judgeship were abolished in 1863, and California and Oregon were placed in a Tenth Circuit.
In 1891, a separate tier of appellate circuit courts was created, removing the burden of circuit riding from the Supreme Court justices. This act also gave the circuits a new jurisdictional role, with the principal appellate courts taking on a regional identity. The circuit courts are now known as the United States courts of appeals and are divided into 13 "Circuits". Eleven of these circuits are numbered and cover geographic areas of the United States, while the District of Columbia Circuit covers only Washington, DC. The Federal Circuit hears appeals from federal courts across the country in specialized areas of law.
The courts of appeals hear appeals from the U.S. district courts and some administrative agencies, and their decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court. They play an important role in the federal judiciary, providing a geographical and administrative structure to the system. The circuit judicial councils, established in 1939, exercise administrative authority over all the federal courts within a circuit.
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Judicial review
The US Constitution established one federal court: the US Supreme Court. Article III of the Constitution also authorised Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the US judicial system. It has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court, or those brought in state court but dealing with federal law. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort for those seeking justice.
The Supreme Court's power of judicial review ensures that each branch of government recognises the limits of its own power. Judicial review is the ability of the Court to declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution. This power is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, but it has been used by the Court to strike down state laws found to be in violation of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They typically hold office for life, although many resign or retire earlier. Justices are usually former law professors and often have experience as circuit court judges.
The lower federal court system includes 13 appellate courts, 94 district or trial courts, and 90 bankruptcy courts. The district courts are the general trial courts of the federal court system. Each federal district also has a bankruptcy court, and there are several other types of federal trial courts with specialised jurisdiction over specific categories of cases.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution created the judicial branch, which includes the Supreme Court and a system of lower courts. The lower federal court system includes 94 district or trial courts, 12 regional Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States and has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal or state courts. It also has the power of judicial review, which means it can declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution.
The 94 district courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying the law to those facts.
The 12 regional Courts of Appeals determine whether the law was applied correctly in the trial court or federal administrative agency.
Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, are selected by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They typically hold office for life and their salaries cannot be reduced during their term.
