2. The Inferior Courts Judicial Branch

3. Inferior Courts Lower federal courts created by congress in the Judiciary Act of 1789 –Currently 94 of them –89 federal districts –Each State has at least one judicial district Larger districts depend on the amount of business done there

4. District Court Jurisdiction These courts are the principal trail courts in the federal court system –Criminal cases A defendant has committed an action that congress has declared by law to be a federal crime –Civil cases A dispute over the terms of a contract or a claim of patent infringement. Etc. –Grand juries are used to indict defendants

5. Court of Appeals 1891 a court of appeals was created by Congress –“Gatekeepers”, to relieve the Supreme Court of the burden of too many cases –3 year backlist (docket) –Currently 12 Courts of Appeal that are divided into 12 judicial circuits

6. Appellate Judges & Jurisdiction 179 circuit court judges sit on the bench –1 supreme court justice is assigned to each of them + 12 judges –They cover 3 states & hold sessions in a # of cities within the circuit –Each court usually holds a panel of 3 but for important cases all the justices are called together These courts hold appellate jurisdiction –They hear cases on appeal from the lower federal courts –More than 55,000 cases a year –All decisions are final unless the supreme court decides to hear appeals taken from them

7. Other Constitutional Courts Congress created 2 other courts in Article III. US Court of International Trade –9 judges One who is chief –Hears civil cases arising our of tariff & other trade-related laws Sit in panels of 3 to hear cases –Go to the Court of Appeals The US court of Federal Appeals –Created in 1982 –Nationwide jurisdiction –Speed up the handling of appeals cases in certain types of civil cases Patent Trademark Copyright –12 judges on panel –3 more may hear the case but there are exceptions