Federal Court System Flashcards
What are the dual court systems
Federal and state
What court cases does the federal system handle?
-Issues dealing with the U.S constitution
-violations of federal law
-disputes between 2 or more states or citizens from different states involved in a dispute with one another
What does it mean to appeal?
To challenge the verdict (decision) by asking a higher court to look at the lower courts ruling to see if a mistake was made
What does Jurisdiction mean
To have legal authority over a case or type of law
What is original jurisdiction
To have the authority to hear the case for the first time
Who creates the federal courts?
Congress as needed (also has the right to establish post offices)
How many justices does the Supreme Court have
9 judges
What kind of cases does the U.S Supreme Court hear?
-Cases that deal with the US constitution
-To settle disputed between states
What is the only thing that can reverse a Supreme Court decision?
Another Supreme Court decision or another constitutional amendment
What is it called when a Supreme Court decision becomes a law?
A Precedent
What is the main power of the Supreme Court called?
Judicial review
What happens during a judicial review
The court hears cases about the constitutional law and rules on them
What does it mean to have an unconstitutional law?
It means that the law violates or contradicts something in the U.S constitution.
Who gave the Judicial review power?
Marbury vs. Madison
What is the job of the justices?
To protect and uphold the US constitution
What is an appellate court? (Know also as appeals courts)
They review district court decisions to see if a mistake in applying the law was made.
What does it mean appeal a court case?
To challenge the decision because of a disagreement of the verdict.
How many judges does each district court have?
1 judge appointed by the president
How many district courts are in the middle district?
5 district courts in the middle region (our region)
