The Courts and What They Do

1
The Courts and What They Do
2
Structure of U.S. Court System
U.S. Supreme Court
Original jurisdiction
State Supreme Courts
U.S. Circuit Cts
State Cts of Appeals
Federal Trial Cts
State Trial Cts
3
What Courts Do

• Resolve Disputes
• Civil Cases
• Criminal Cases
• Interpret Law
• Regulations (from bureaucracy)
• Statutes
• Constitution
• Judicial Review

4
Civil Law

• Plaintiff v. Defendant
• Types of Civil Law
• Contracts
• Torts
• Sources of Civil Law
• Statutes
• Common Law

5
Criminal Law

• State v. Individual (or Corporation)
• Statutory

6
Interpreting Law and Judicial Review

• Do bureaucratic regulations square with
  legislation?
• Does legislation square with the constitution?

7
Trial Courts

• Find facts
• Apply law to facts
• May use juries

8
Appellate Courts

• Was the law correctly interpreted and applied?
• Dont mess with facts!
• No juries, no witnesses
• Briefs
• Oral argument
• the record

9
State Courts

• 97 of cases filed in state court
• Most states elect judges

10
Federal Courts

• Judges appointed
• Senatorial courtesy
• Life tenure
• Salary secure

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)