Charging and trying defendants for breaking Federal Laws.
evaluate the decisions of lower federal court
Congress created the Federal Appellate Courts and Federal High Courts.
The thirteen US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts are the Article III intermediate appellate courts of the federal Judicial Branch. Twelve of the courts have territorial jurisdiction over cases heard in the US District Courts; the thirteenth has nationwide jurisdiction over special subject matter cases, such as patent infringement and appeals from the US Court of Federal Claims. These modern courts should not be confused with the US Circuit Courts of the 19th century, which had original (trial) jurisdiction over major criminal cases, as well as appellate jurisdiction over certain cases heard in the District Courts. Some states may also have Circuit Courts within their judicial system; however, these are not connected to the federal courts.
The Constitution established only one federal court, the Supreme Court. It left to Congress the job of creating the federal court system. Congress has created three types of federal courts. 1. District Courts--the nation is divided into 94 federal judicial districts, each with its own district court. These are the courts where cases are tried. 2. Courts of Appeals. The District Courts are divided into 12 regions, called circuits. Each circuit has its own Court of Appeals. There is also a Federal Circuit which covers the entire nation. If a person looses a case in the district court that person can appeal the case to the court of appeals. 3 The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest of the federal courts. Cases from the court of appeals in each circuit and from the state supreme courts can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Only federal courts are established by Congress. -Apex
The differences between Maryland Circuit Courts and District Courts are in the types of cases they handle. Another major difference is that Circuit Courts have jury trials, and District Courts do not. The details are best explained in the related link below.
"Major" and "minor" judges typically refer to judges who preside over different levels of courts. Major judges are typically judges who preside over higher courts, such as appellate courts or supreme courts, while minor judges preside over lower courts, such as district courts or municipal courts. The distinction is based on the level of court they preside over rather than their authority or importance.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a the beginning of the three-tiered Federal Court system and established the US Supreme Court as head of the Judicial branch of government.Not only did this add a new layer to the judiciary that needed to be integrated with the thirteen existing state court systems, it also allowed the federal government to institute a rule of law based on the US Constitution, in place of one based on British common law. The Constitution implemented new ideas and laws that deliberately diverged from conventional British practices the Colonists found oppressive.Some of the Founding Fathers opposed the existence of a federal judiciary because they feared the courts would allow the federal government to become tyrannical, abrogating state powers and individual liberties. The Bill of Rights was intended to address some of these concerns by specifying citizens' rights relative to law, and by assigning to the states any authority not explicitly given to the three branches of the US government. The Judiciary Act of 1789 had to ensure the legal interests of the state and central governments were balanced. The legislation was remarkable in terms of its complexity, and the compromise it afforded competing interests of the Federalist and anti-Federalist (states' rights) parties.Senator Oliver Ellsworth (later third Chief Justice of the United States) allied some of the anti-Federalists' fears by providing the lowest federal courts, state-located US District Courts, would initially hear cases involving maritime law, tax collection and petty crimes, while the state courts were allowed trial jurisdiction over federal and constitutional laws and treaties. The US Supreme Court was only allowed to consider these issues after all appeals had been exhausted in the state court system (federal question jurisdiction changed in 1875).The three Circuit Courts, which were also trial courts under the original legislation, were to convene only twice per year in each state. They would be responsible for hearing issues of greatest contention between the Federalists and anti-Federalists, such as large debts (over $500) to British creditors; disputes between citizens of different states; and major criminal trials. The Circuit Courts would each seat two Supreme Court justices and a District judge to ensure only judges with substantial legal knowledge would consider the contested legal matters.The US Supreme Court, the only federal appellate court under the 1789 Act, was to comprise one Chief Justice, who would preside over the Court, and five Associate Justices, all of whom would consider matters en banc (as a group). In addition to the areas of original jurisdiction assigned under Article III of the Constitution, the US Supreme Court was allowed to hear cases on appeal if the dispute was in the national interest.One significant compromise stipulated the Supreme Court would be required to accept facts established in the trial courts, and could only consider matters of law, not evidence. The Supreme Court could hear cases on appeal from either the state or federal courts, providing an enhanced appeals process for the state courts.Although both the state and federal courts' jurisdiction has changed in the last 200 years, the structure of the federal judiciary is similar to that established in the Judiciary Act of 1789. The purpose of the judiciary act was the first acts of the new Congress in 1789. This is what established the federal court system.
Those are the three major branches of the United States Government.Executive branch:President, Vice President, Presidential advisersLegislative branch:Congress, consisting of the Senate and the House of RepresentativesJudiciary branch:network of Federal District Courts throughout the country, and the Supreme Court in Washington
There's no one major judge in the federal courts. The judge with the highest office is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (John Roberts). The other eight Justices are also extremely "major". There are also a number of prominent appeals court judges, for example Judge Richard Posner in the 7th Circuit.
State-level superior courts typically handle a wide range of cases, including civil and criminal matters, and their jurisdiction can vary by state. Federal district courts, on the other hand, have jurisdiction over federal law cases and disputes involving diverse parties across state lines. The U.S. Supreme Court serves as the highest court in the land, primarily addressing constitutional issues and resolving conflicts among circuit courts. Distinctively, the Supreme Court has the power of judicial review, allowing it to overturn laws and executive actions that it deems unconstitutional.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a the beginning of the three-tiered Federal Court system and established the US Supreme Court as head of the Judicial branch of government.Not only did this add a new layer to the judiciary that needed to be integrated with the thirteen existing state court systems, it also allowed the federal government to institute a rule of law based on the US Constitution, in place of one based on British common law. The Constitution implemented new ideas and laws that deliberately diverged from conventional British practices the Colonists found oppressive.Some of the Founding Fathers opposed the existence of a federal judiciary because they feared the courts would allow the federal government to become tyrannical, abrogating state powers and individual liberties. The Bill of Rights was intended to address some of these concerns by specifying citizens' rights relative to law, and by assigning to the states any authority not explicitly given to the three branches of the US government. The Judiciary Act of 1789 had to ensure the legal interests of the state and central governments were balanced. The legislation was remarkable in terms of its complexity, and the compromise it afforded competing interests of the Federalist and anti-Federalist (states' rights) parties.Senator Oliver Ellsworth (later third Chief Justice of the United States) allied some of the anti-Federalists' fears by providing the lowest federal courts, state-located US District Courts, would initially hear cases involving maritime law, tax collection and petty crimes, while the state courts were allowed trial jurisdiction over federal and constitutional laws and treaties. The US Supreme Court was only allowed to consider these issues after all appeals had been exhausted in the state court system (federal question jurisdiction changed in 1875).The three Circuit Courts, which were also trial courts under the original legislation, were to convene only twice per year in each state. They would be responsible for hearing issues of greatest contention between the Federalists and anti-Federalists, such as large debts (over $500) to British creditors; disputes between citizens of different states; and major criminal trials. The Circuit Courts would each seat two Supreme Court justices and a District judge to ensure only judges with substantial legal knowledge would consider the contested legal matters.The US Supreme Court, the only federal appellate court under the 1789 Act, was to comprise one Chief Justice, who would preside over the Court, and five Associate Justices, all of whom would consider matters en banc (as a group). In addition to the areas of original jurisdiction assigned under Article III of the Constitution, the US Supreme Court was allowed to hear cases on appeal if the dispute was in the national interest.One significant compromise stipulated the Supreme Court would be required to accept facts established in the trial courts, and could only consider matters of law, not evidence. The Supreme Court could hear cases on appeal from either the state or federal courts, providing an enhanced appeals process for the state courts.Although both the state and federal courts' jurisdiction has changed in the last 200 years, the structure of the federal judiciary is similar to that established in the Judiciary Act of 1789. The purpose of the judiciary act was the first acts of the new Congress in 1789. This is what established the federal court system.