1. Jurisdiction and Inferior Courts Article III, Section 1

2. Federal Court System Constitution created a Supreme Court and “such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” In this context “inferior” means courts less powerful than the Supreme Court Judiciary Act of 1789 created the federal district (trial) courts There are three layers of federal courts: Federal District Federal Court of Appeals Supreme Court

3. Jurisdiction Ability of a court to hear a case

4. Types of Jurisdiction Original: They hear the case first Exclusive: Federal courts are the only court who can hear that case. Ex. An U.S. Ambassador is charged Concurrent: Both State and Federal Courts can hear the case. Like disputes among people of different States. A Federal Court hears only cases involving more than $75,000. Appellate: Hears a case appealed from a lower court.

5. Federal Criminal and Civil Cases Criminal Tried for cases that Congress has deemed a crime Examples: Kidnapping and Counterfeiting, bank robbery, mail fraud Civil Cases Noncriminal matter Examples law suits involving States, bankruptcy, civil rights

6. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS Federal District Courts are the trial courts of the US (They have a jury that determines guilt or innocence.) They were created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 They have original jurisdiction (first to hear a case) for federal cases except those that begin in the Supreme Court, International Trade, or special courts

7. Distinction Regularly use grand juries and petit juries Grand Juries decide if there is enough evidence to go to trial Petit Juries decide if the evidence proves a defendant isGuilty or not guilty.

8. Federal Court of Appeals Middle tier of the Federal Court System Created by Congress in 1891 to relieve the Supreme Court of hearing the appeals (three year backlog on docket) Twelve courts of appeal with 179 circuit judges Usually sit in panels of three judges en banc – all district judges will sit Not a trial court! No jury – only judges

10. Appellate Jurisdiction original jurisdiction Can not have original jurisdiction If a Federal District Court decision is appealed it will go to the appellate court Some special court cases can also be appealed