Federal Law And Court Jurisdiction: Who Hears What?

The US judicial system is divided into federal and state courts. Federal courts are specifically designed to hear cases involving federal laws, including criminal, civil, and bankruptcy cases. These courts are established under Article III of the US Constitution and include the US Supreme Court, US District Courts, and US Circuit Courts of Appeal. The federal district court is the starting point for any case arising under federal statutes, the Constitution, or treaties. This type of jurisdiction is called original jurisdiction. Cases that raise a federal question involving the US government, the Constitution, or other federal laws fall under the purview of federal courts. The US Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and primarily hears cases with significant constitutional or legal implications, having the final say on matters of federal law.

Federal district courts

Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal civil and criminal cases. Criminal cases involve an allegation by the government that an individual or entity violated the criminal laws of the United States. Civil cases arise from disputes involving the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties. They can also be brought to district court if the parties are citizens of different states or countries and the amount in controversy exceeds a certain amount of money.

Appeals from these courts are heard at the Federal Circuit Appellate Courts, which correspond to their geographic location. Any case may be appealed to the circuit court once the district court has finalized a decision. Appeals to circuit courts are first heard by a panel consisting of three circuit court judges. Parties file "briefs" to the court, arguing why the trial court's decision should be "affirmed" or "reversed". After the briefs are filed, the court will schedule "oral argument" for the lawyers to come before the court to make their arguments and answer the judges' questions.

Beyond the Federal Circuit, a few courts have been established to deal with appeals on specific subjects such as veterans' claims (United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims) and military matters (United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces).

Federal circuit courts of appeal

The United States Courts of Appeals, also known as the Federal Circuit Courts or U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. There are 13 appellate courts that sit below the U.S. Supreme Court. They hear appeals of cases from the United States district courts and some U.S. administrative agencies, and their decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The courts of appeals are divided into 13 "Circuits". Eleven of the circuits are numbered "First" through "Eleventh" and cover geographic areas of the United States, hearing appeals from the U.S. district courts within their borders. The District of Columbia Circuit covers only Washington, DC. The Federal Circuit hears appeals from federal courts across the entire United States in cases involving certain specialized areas of law, such as patents, and cases decided by the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has a nationwide jurisdiction over very specific issues. Each circuit court has multiple judges, ranging from six on the First Circuit to twenty-nine on the Ninth Circuit. Circuit court judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Any case may be appealed to the circuit court once the district court has finalized a decision. Appeals to circuit courts are first heard by a panel, typically consisting of three judges, who are randomly selected from the available judges. Parties file “briefs” to the court, arguing why the trial court’s decision should be “affirmed” or “reversed”. After the briefs are filed, the court will schedule “oral argument” in which the lawyers come before the court to make their arguments and answer the judges’ questions.

Although it is rare, the entire circuit court may consider certain appeals in a process called an “en banc hearing”. En banc opinions tend to carry more weight and are usually decided only after a panel has first heard the case. Once a panel has ruled on an issue and “published” the opinion, no future panel can overrule the previous decision. The panel can, however, suggest that the circuit take up the case en banc to reconsider the first panel’s decision.

US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It was established in 1789 by the Judiciary Act, which also created the lower federal court system. The Supreme Court has one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They typically hold office for life, and their salaries cannot be decreased during their term.

The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over certain cases, such as suits between two or more states and cases involving ambassadors. It also has appellate jurisdiction over almost any case that involves a point of constitutional and/or federal law. The Supreme Court can hear appeals on all cases brought in federal court or state court, although it is not required to do so. The Court agrees to hear about 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review each year.

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review is its best-known power. This is the ability of the Court to declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution. The Court established this power in the case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803, where it had to decide whether an Act of Congress or the Constitution was the supreme law of the land.

The US Supreme Court is the highest court in the American judicial system, and its decisions are binding on all other courts in the nation. It is one of 13 appellate courts, with 94 district or trial courts sitting below it.

State courts

An example of a case that originated in a state court but was appealed to a federal court is a dispute between two states regarding water rights. This case involves a federal question, and thus falls under the jurisdiction of the federal courts. Similarly, if someone is accused of violating federal laws, such as drug trafficking, the case would fall under federal jurisdiction.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the American judicial system. It primarily hears cases with significant constitutional or legal implications and has the final say on matters of federal law. While cases that have been decided in state courts can be appealed to the Supreme Court, it is not required to hear every case submitted to it. The Supreme Court usually hears cases that have already gone through the federal Court of Appeals system or, in some instances, state Supreme Courts.

Tribal courts

The federal courts in the United States are courts of limited jurisdiction, meaning they can only hear cases authorized by the United States Constitution or federal statutes. The federal district court is the starting point for any case arising under federal statutes, the Constitution, or treaties. This type of jurisdiction is called "original jurisdiction." The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the American judicial system, and it has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or those brought in state court.

The Code of Federal Regulations 25 CFR Part 11 governs the CFR Courts unless laws and ordinances enacted by a governing body of a Tribe and approved by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs supersede any part of the CFR. Each CFR court should apply the customs of the Tribe when they are consistent with the CFR. The Indian Tribal Justice Act of 1993 and the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA) support tribal courts in becoming well-established dispensers of justice in Indian Country. The National Survey of Tribal Court Systems (NSTCS) helps fulfill the legislative mandate under the TLOA to establish and implement a tribal crime data collection system.

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