T HE J UDICIAL B RANCH Chapter 18

P ART 3 Inferior Courts

US Supreme Court 100 cases a year 8000 cases 8000 cases Federal Courts of Appeals 55,000 cases a year Federal District Courts 300,000 cases a year

1. T HE D ISTRICT C OURTS Created by the Judicial act of 1789

F EDERAL J UDICIAL D ISTRICTS 89 Federal Judicial Districts Each state has at least 1 A district may have several judges Cases are heard by either 1 judge or a 3 judge panel Original Jurisdiction over most federal cases Both criminal and civil cases If appealed it goes to the court of appeals for that judicial circuit

2. T HE C OURTS OF A PPEALS Created by Congress in 1891 Used to relieve some of the burden on the Supreme Court (gatekeepers) 12 courts of appeal Judicial Circuits 179 judges and a Supreme Court Justice is assigned to one of the circuits 3 judge panel (sometimes all of them) Decisions are final unless the Supreme Court decides to hear the case

US Supreme Court US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces 12 US Courts of Appeals US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Military Courts 94 District Courts Courts of DC Territorial Courts US Tax Courts Appeals from Highest State Courts US Court of International Trade US Court of Federal Claims US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

O THER C ONSTITUTIONAL C OURTS Court of International trade 9 judges Civil cases from tariffs and other trade issues Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 12 judges Nationwide jurisdiction