Federal and State Courts Notes Judicial Branch Federal and State Courts Notes

Judicial Branch Judicial Branch Main job: Interprets the Law What article in the Constitution? Article III The Constitution created the Supreme Court but gave Congress the power to lower courts

Jurisdiction Jurisdiction authority to hear certain cases Original- court in which a case is originally tried Appellate- authority held by a court to hear a case that is appealed from a lower court

Court Systems There are two court systems State Court Systems Federal Court System

The Supreme Court U.S. Court of Appeals U.S. District court

Supreme Court – Highest Court Justices – 9 Justices 1 Chief Justice 8 associate Justices All are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate

US Court of Appeals Job Ease the Workload of the Supreme Court Justices – Appointed by President and approved by the Senate

U.S District Courts Trial Courts – Have a jury A person would go here first if they broke a FEDERAL LAW

Supreme Court determines whether to… Hear a court case Reverse the decision of a lower court Uphold the decision of a lower court Declare judicial review

1 3 9 Life District Court Court of Appeals Supreme Court Name of Court District Court Court of Appeals Supreme Court Number of judges in the Courtroom 1 3 9 Term of Office for Judges Life Jurisdiction/ Types of cases Original Concurrent Jurisdiction Civil and Criminal cases Appellate jurisdiction Hears appeals from lower courts Appellate Foreign gov’t representative 2 states

How are federal judges put on the bench? President appoints with Senate Approval (Article II, Section II) Why is the term of office for federal judges so important? It permits judges to be free from public or political pressures in deciding cases

Maryland Court System Notes Court of Appeals Court of Special Appeals Circuit Court District Court Court of Appeals Court of Special Appeals Circuit Court District Court

Court of Appeals Highest court in Maryland. It is made up of 7 judges. Appointed by the Governor and approved by the MD Senate. Run for office, unopposed. Serve 10 year term. Has appellate jurisdiction hears cases which begin in Circuit Court and have been reviewed by Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Exclusive jurisdiction on reviewing death penalty cases. Some rulings appealed to U.S. Sup. Court for review.

Court of Special Appeals 13 Judges Judges appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate (Maryland) Hears civil and criminal cases appealed from the circuit court. Their job is to ease the workload for court of appeals.

Circuit Court Hears major civil and serious criminal cases. Judges are appointed by the governor and approved by the state senate. Judges serve 15 year terms. Has both appellate and original jurisdiction. Has appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from district court.

District Court Judges are appointed by the Governor and approved by MD Senate do not run election. District courts are Trial court’s with no juries. Judge determines the verdict.