General Information
There are two basic types of cases: criminal cases and civil cases.
Participants in the judicial system:
-Litigants
-Plantiff (state or goverment attorney) vs. Defendent (accused)
-Lawyers
-Judges
Courts are passive, meaning they are dependent on others to take the initiative.
There are over 1 million attorneys currently practicing.
Interest groups oftentimes seek out litigants to challenge laws. s is a great space to write long text about your company and your services. .
District Courts
- District courts hear about 350,000 cases a year
-District courts only hear federal cases or cases where the
location of the crime is unclear, or when dealing with
citizens of different states
-Types of cases range from federal crimes, to civil suits
between citizens of different states, bankruptcy, maritime
law, and naturalizations
-Each district has a U.S. Attorney, nominated by the
President, to represent the U.S. Government
Courts of Appeals
-There is usually a panel of 3 judges to hear a case
(178 judges in all)
-The court of appeals is not looking for guilt or innocence,
rather to correct errors made at the District court level
Judical Branch Vocabulary
Original Jurisdiction - Jurisdiction of the court that hears a case first.
Appellate Jurisdiction - Jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on an appeal from the lower courts.
About the Judicial Branch
TAKE SOME TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM BEFORE YOU CONTINUE. YOU MAY BE CONFUSED IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE GENERAL LAYOUT!