The federal court system in the US oversees matters related to the Constitution and federal laws, while state courts handle state laws. The system consists of three tiers: district courts, court of appeals, and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review and can strike down unconstitutional legislation or actions.
Federal court is a term used to describe the system of courts in the United States that have jurisdiction at the federal or national level. The federal court system oversees matters relating to the United States Constitution and federal laws, rules, and regulations. This is in contrast to the state judicial system, which has jurisdiction over matters concerning the laws, rules and regulations of individual states.
The federal judicial system consists of three different levels. The first or lowest tier of the federal judicial system is the United States District Court. District courts are the trial courts of the federal justice system, and most federal court cases originate in a district court.
The middle tier of the federal judicial system is made up of the United States Court of Appeals, which is divided into 12 regional or “Circuit” courts. When a decision is reached in the United States District Court, a party can request that the decision be heard by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals may choose to reverse a lower court decision, have the case reviewed by the entire District Court, refer the case back to the District Court for review, or do nothing and allow the original decision to stand.
The highest court in the federal judicial system is the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. The Supreme Court may, in accordance with its discretion and guidelines established by the United States Congress, review cases from the United States Court of Appeals and cases from state Supreme Courts that have federal implications. In the United States, the Supreme Court is the last court to which appeals can be made. Supreme Court decisions cannot be appealed.
The Supreme Court of the United States also has the ability to strike down legislation or government actions that the Court determines to be unconstitutional. This power has come to be known as “Judicial Review.” Judicial review is an important element of the US federal government’s system of “checks and balances” and provides the US Supreme Court with a level of influence and power not often found in the judicial systems of other nations.
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