1. Organization of the United States Judicial System
Civics and Economics
SOL CE.10a

2. Questions
How are federal courts organized, and what jurisdiction does each exercise?
How are state courts organized, and what jurisdiction does each exercise?

3. Dual Court System
The judicial function is exercised in a dual court system, which consists of state courts and federal courts.

4. U.S. Court of Appeals: Judges, no jury; appellate jurisdiction
U.S. Federal Courts
The United States has a court system whose organization and jurisdiction are derived from the Constitution of the United States and federal laws.
U.S. Supreme Court: Justices, no jury; appellate jurisdiction; limited original jurisdiction
U.S. Court of Appeals: Judges, no jury; appellate jurisdiction
U.S. District Court: Judge, with or without jury; original jurisdiction

5. U.S. Federal Courts
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court
Judge
Jury
Jurisdiction

6. Virginia’s State Court System
Virginia, like each of the other 49 states, has its own separate court system whose organization and jurisdiction are derived from Virginia’s constitution and state laws.
Virginia Supreme Court: Justices, no jury; appellate jurisdiction; limited original jurisdiction
Court of Appeals of Virginia: Judges, no jury; appellate jurisdiction to review decisions of circuit courts
Circuit court: Judge, with or without jury; original jurisdiction for felony criminal cases and for certain civil cases; appellate jurisdiction from district courts
General district court, and juvenile and domestic relations court: Judge, no jury; original jurisdiction for misdemeanors in civil cases generally involving lower dollar amounts and original jurisdiction in juvenile and family cases

7. Virginia’s State Court System
Virginia Supreme Court
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Circuit court
General district court, and juvenile and domestic relations court
Judge
Jury
Jurisdiction

8. Vocabulary Definitions: dual- two
federal- related to a central or supreme level of government
national- relating to the nation or country

9. organization
 a system or structure
2. derived
 come from
3. jury
 a group of people who judge a case (usually 12)
4. original
  first , beginning
5. appeal
 ask another court to review
6. review
 look over again
7. criminal case
 a person who breaks the law is brought the trial
8. misdemeanor
 a crime less serious than a felony
9. circuit
 traveling from place to place in an area such as by a judge
10. jurisdiction
 the limits of authority over an area
11.Justices
 judges of the Supreme Court (9)
12. appellate
 having the power to review the decision s of lower courts
13. supreme
 highest in rank or authority
district
 an area or section
15. felony
 a serious crime punishable by a heavy sentence
16. civil case
 two or more citizens going to the judge to settle a conflict
17. juvenile
 related to children
18. domestic relations
 involving relationships between family or household members

10. Review
Describe the organization of the United States judicial system.