In this essay I will describe the structure of the federal court system and how it is organized.
U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme court is the highest court and it handles cases of national attention. Normally cases are heard only if one of the parties involved on a case felt that their rights had been violated in the state court due to a law (“Study.com”). The main purpose of the Supreme Court is to guarantee the Constitutional rights. As the “court of last resort,” the Supreme Court creates a precedent or an example which should be followed in all similar cases by every court in the country, insuring that laws are applied equally to everybody ("The U.S. Supreme Court”).
U.S. District Courts
Cases involving both criminal and civil actions are heard by the U.S. District Courts. They include 94 districts, each with a Bankruptcy court, U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The trial courts represent a place where witnesses testify and federal jury serve. Maritime cases and cases involving people from different states may also be heard in district courts.
All federal judicial districts are divided into 12 regional circuits and each of them has a court of appeals. There are no juries in appeal courts. One of the main functions of the appeal court is to confirm if a law has been applied correctly in the trial court. A court of appeals normally hear appeal cases to the decisions from courts that are located within its administrative territory and also challenges to decisions from federal administrative agencies. In addition, some specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws, are directed for consideration to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ("Court Role and Structure").
Works Cited
"Court Role and Structure." United States Courts. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. <http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure>.
"The U.S. Supreme Court." The Judicial Learning Center. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. <http://judiciallearningcenter.org/the-us-supreme-court/>.
"Study.com -." Study.com. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. <http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-3-levels-of-the-federal-court-system-structure-and-organization.html>.
