Federal Court Flashcards
Fed court more integrated than state court because do not necessarily
Recognize state boundaries in terms of their authority
Fed courts consist of Supreme Court, _ and, _
Circuit courts
District courts
Supreme Court is most important and sits in
D.C.
Supreme Court is composed of _ judges
9
The judges in Supreme Court are called
Justices (chief justice, etc.)
Justices are nominated by president and then
Approved by senate
The sitting justices are all
Attorneys
Most justices were judges in lower courts who
Have been elevated to Supreme Court
No requirement that a U.S. Supreme Court justice be
An attorney
The U.S. Supreme Court is a court of
Discretionary appeal
Discretionary appeal means it exercises its discretion in
Deciding which case it will hear
As a court of appeal, Supreme Court does not actually
Try cases
Does not try cases but simply hears legal briefs as submitted by (2)
Attorneys
Litigants
A litigant is
A person involved in a lawsuit
Supreme Court hears oral arguments that are limited to an hour or two and then
Renders a written decision
The Supreme Court does not actually hear (2)
From witnesses
Evidence
The U.S. Supreme Court does not actually _ as might be done by a jury
Resolve factual disputes
Instead of hearing witnesses, evidence, etc, Supreme Court
Reviews records presented from the trial from lower court
Supreme Court determines whether there was a _ error committed at the trial level (3)
Procedural
Evidentiary
Constitutional
In order to have a case presented at Supreme Court, party requesting the hearing must first
File a petition
If petition denied
Case will not be heard
If petition granted
Nine judges will hear the appeal and render a decision
Very small percentage of cases appealed to Supreme Court are
Actually heard
Out of 8,255 cases appealed to Supreme Court in 2002
Supreme Court only issued written decisions to 79
Below Supreme Court are eleven
U,s. Circuit Courts of Appeal
The U.S. is divided into _ plus two additional circuits
Eleven numbered federal circuits
Two additional circuits (2)
D.C. Circuit
Federal Circuit
Within each of the circuits is a
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
