Section 1

 Federal courts, like the Supreme Court, make up the judicial branch of the U.S. government.  The United States Supreme Court is at the top of the federal court system.  The goal of the legal system is to treat every person the same.  The Constitution affords every person accused of a crime has the right to have a public trial and a lawyer.

 Article III of the Constitution created the federal court system.  This article also created the national Supreme Court.  It also gave Congress the power to establish lower courts.

 The Judiciary Act of 1789 allowed Congress to create federal district courts and in 1891 the federal court of appeals.  The federal court system has three levels.

Supreme Court Appeals Courts District Courts

 Jurisdiction is a court’s authority to hear and decide cases.  There are 8 kinds of cases in which the federal courts have jurisdiction.  In these 8 areas to be described, federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction, which means that only these courts may hear and decide such cases.  Concurrent jurisdiction is when the case may be heard in either federal or state court.

 If you feel that your constitutional rights have been violated, then you have the right to be heard in a federal court.  For example, the violation of your freedom of speech. (Tinker v Des Moines, 1969)

 If the government accuses a person of breaking a federal law then the case would be heard in federal court.  For example, kidnapping, counterfeiting, etc….

 Disputes between states are settled in federal courts.  /mar/30/top-court-hear-arguments-sc-nc- water-lawsuit/ /mar/30/top-court-hear-arguments-sc-nc- water-lawsuit/

 If two parties live in different states then the case must be heard in federal courts.  For example, if I want to bring a suit against Tommy from Tennessee and I am Abby from Alabama, the case would be heard in a federal court.

 The federal gov’t may bring suits against parties. For example, the Defense Department might sue a company that contracted to build missile parts but did not complete the work on time.  An individual may also sue the government. If you get hit by a mail truck, you could sue the U.S. Postal Service.

 Any dispute between a foreign government and either the U.S. government or an American private party is heard in federal court. 

 These laws concern accidents or crimes on the high seas.  aw_Jones_Act.html aw_Jones_Act.html

 If an American diplomat working in the U.S. embassy in France is accused of breaking an American law, the case would go to federal court.