Organization of the Federal Courts

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Organization of the Federal Courts

• Chapter 11
• Section 2

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Constitutional Courts

• Federal court with constitutionally based powers
  and whose judges serve for life.
• Created by Judiciary Act of 1789
• The District Courts
• Primary Trial Courts in the Federal System
• Where most federal cases go.
• Grand Jury a group of people who evaluate
  whether or not there is enough evidence to try a
  person.
• Petit Jury jury that decides a persons
  innocence or guilt. Trial Jury

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Constitutional Courts

• The Courts of Appeals
• 13 total, hear all appeal cases.
• Never have original jurisdiction.
• Decide whether errors occurred in the original
  trial.
• The Court of International Trade
• Hears cases related to tariffs and trade.

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Legislative Courts

• Court of Military Appeals
• United States Claims Court
• The Courts of District of Columbia
• The Territorial Courts
• The Court of Veteran Appeals
• The United States Tax Court

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Federal Judges

• Selection Criteria
• Experience and Background
• Almost all have law degrees, but come from a
  variety of backgrounds.
• Political Ideology / Party Affiliation
• Conservatives select conservatives, liberals
  select liberals.
• Race and Gender
• Thurgood Marshall First African American on
  Supreme Court
• Sandra Day OConnor First female
• Senatorial Courtesy
• The president first asks the Senators from the
  Judges home state to approve of the selection

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Selection Process

• Judges have lifetime positions and can only be
  removed by impeachment.
• 13 have been impeached, 7 convicted.

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Selection Process

• Senate Confirmation
• Senate Judiciary Committee interviews nominee and
  makes a recommendation.
• If the committee does not recommend, the
  candidate is usually rejected.
• 28 of the 146 Supreme Court nominees have not
  passed.
• Selection Gridlock
• Gridlock when nothing gets done
• Increases workload of the courts.