Structure of the Judicial Branch Unit 4 Lesson 1

Warm-up Think about the different rules at home, at school, and out in the community How could this relate to government?

Objective After class today, you should be able to describe the structure of the state and federal judicial branch.

Important Terms Original Jurisdiction: the court that has the right to hear a case the first time it goes to court (ex: MD District Courts have original jurisdiction over traffic cases, MD Circuit Courts have original jurisdiction over cases involving murder)

Important Terms Appellate Jurisdiction: A court that has jurisdiction when a case is appealed from a lower court. (ex: the MD Court of Appeals only hears cases after a lower court has ruled on them.)

MD District Courts Jurisdiction: Original Special Notes Only a judge. NO JURY! Deals with traffic violations, small claims, etc.

MD Circuit Courts Jurisdiction: Both Special Notes Sometimes has a jury, sometimes just a judge. Deals with more serious criminal cases and most cases appealed from the MD District Court.

MD Court of Special Appeals Jurisdiction: Appellate Special Notes Lower MD Appeals Court. Deals with appeals from the MD Circuit Court.

MD Court of Appeals Jurisdiction: Appellate Special Notes Highest Court in MD. CHOOSES which cases to hear, but must hear death penalty cases.

US District Courts # of Courts: 94 Jurisdiction: Original Special Notes The trial court of the U.S. system. Hears criminal and civil cases

US Courts of Appeals # of Courts: 12 Jurisdiction: Appellate Special Notes Hears appeals from the US District Court.

US Supreme Court # of Courts: 1 Jurisdiction: Appellate Special Notes Highest Court in the country. Hears federal and state appeals related to Constitutional law. Decides which cases it hears. 9 justices with terms that last for life

For the following situations, identify whether it would be a Maryland (M) or US (U) case. ______ 1. An Army General leaks confidential military documents. ______ 2. You have a boundary dispute with your neighbor. ______ 3. You sue a body shop in Virginia for doing bad work on your car. ______ 4. Your friend is caught with drugs at Patuxent Naval Air Station. ______ 5. You get a traffic ticket in Prince Frederick. ______ 6. A family friend sues a local doctor for malpractice.

Multiple Choice Practice 1. Which of the following is the highest court in the country? MD Court of Appeals US Court of Appeals MD Court of Special Appeals US Supreme Court

Multiple Choice Practice 2. An appellate court: Tries cases for the first time. Always has a jury. Hears appeals from a lower court. Has original jurisdiction.