The Federal Court System C & E

Key Terms Jurisdiction exclusive jurisdiction concurrent jurisdiction

EQs How did the federal court system originate? What kinds of cases are handled in federal courts?

Key Concepts Judicial Branch Types of Jurisdiction

Equal Justice For All settle civil disputes btwn private parties, a private party & the government, or the United States & a state or local government Each side presents its position Courts apply the law & decide in favor of one or the other

Equal Justice For All Courts hold criminal trials for people accused of crimes Witnesses present evidence & a jury or a judge delivers a verdict of guilt or innocence All accused people have the right to a public trial and a lawyer If cannot afford a lawyer, the court will appoint & pay for one Gideon vs. Wainwright

Equal Justice For All Difficult to achieve Accused people are considered innocent until proven guilty may ask for a review of their case if they think the court has made a mistake The goal of the legal system is equal justice under the law Difficult to achieve

Why is the goal of equal justice under the law difficult to achieve? Judges and juries are not free from personal prejudices or prejudices of their communities. Poor people do not have the money to spend on the best legal help.

The Federal Court System Article III Est nat’l Supreme Court & gave Congress power to est lower fed courts Congress set up three levels in the fed court system district courts at the bottom appeals courts in the middle Supreme Court at the top Each state has its own laws & court system

The Federal Court System Jurisdiction court’s authority to hear & decide cases The Constitution gives fed courts jurisdiction over eight kinds of cases If the law in question applies to the U.S. Constitution, a fed court hears the case Fed courts hear cases involving violation of fed laws

The Federal Court System Any disagreement btwn state gov’ts winds up in fed court Fed courts hear lawsuits btwn citizens of different states If the U.S. gov’t sues someone or someone sues the U.S. government a fed court hears the case Fed courts hear disputes btwn a for. Gov’t & either the U.S. gov’t or an American private party

The Federal Court System Admiralty & maritime laws concern accidents/crimes on the high seas Fed courts hear cases involving these laws Fed courts hear cases involving U.S. diplomats For most of these eight areas, federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction only they may hear & decide such cases Most U.S. court cases involve state law & are tried in state courts

The Federal Court System In a few circumstances, the state & fed courts have concurrent jurisdiction they share jurisdiction & either may hear the case

In what eight areas do federal courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction? Federal courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction in cases involving (1) the Constitution, (2) violations of federal laws, (3) controversies between states, (4) disputes between parties from different states, (5) suits by or against the federal government, (6) foreign governments and treaties, (7) admiralty and maritime laws, and (8) U.S. diplomats.

Checking for Understanding Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left. B __ 1. cases in which only federal courts have jurisdiction __ 2. a court’s authority to hear and decide cases __ 3. cases in which state and federal courts share jurisdiction A. jurisdiction B. exclusive jurisdiction C. concurrent jurisdiction A C