Judicial Branch The Federal Court System The Federal

Judicial Branch The Federal Court System

The Federal Court System • Article III of the Constitution established a national Supreme Court. • It also gave the Congress the power to establish other inferior courts.

Criminal and Civil Cases • The United States has a dual court system. This dual system is made up of state courts and federal courts. • Most cases are decided by state courts. • In criminal cases juries decide whether people have committed crimes. • Civil cases are those where two parties disagree and one takes action against the other.

Federal Court Jurisdiction • Jurisdiction: The authority to decide a case. • The federal courts have jurisdiction in certain specific areas: • Cases involving the Constitution (examples- cases involving freedom of speech or search and seizure) • Cases involving federal laws (examples- bank robbery, tax evasion)

Federal Jurisdiction continued… • Admiralty and maritime laws • Disputes in which the U. S. government is involved • Disputes between states • Disputes between citizens of different states (when the claim is greater than $50, 000) • Disputes between a foreign government and the U. S. • Cases involving U. S. diplomats

Types of Court Jurisdiction • Exclusive Jurisdiction-when only the federal courts may try, hear, and decide a case. • Concurrent Jurisdiction-when state and federal courts share responsibility for a case.

Continued • Original Jurisdiction- the authority to hear a case for the first time. • Appellate Jurisdiction- the authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court.

Type of case/ Jurisdiction • • Bank Robbery Shoplifting at the mall Car theft Factories pollute the river that serves as a border between two states. • Your neighbor builds his fence on your yard. • Murder