The US federal judiciary is a branch of the federal government that operates independently from the legislative and executive branches. However, it works with the other branches as stipulated in the Constitution, including resolving disputes arising from federal laws, administering justice, and settling private disputes. There are different types of courts in the US, including the supreme court, courts of appeals, district courts, and Article I courts. The Supreme Court is the US highest court. Immediately below the US Supreme Court are the thirteen appellate courts known as courts of appeals.
About The Courts Of Appeals
The US courts of Appeals sit below the Supreme Courts and are responsible for determining whether or not justice was served at the trial courts. These circuit courts hear appeals to district court rulings and those from decisions made by the federal administrative departments. Also, the appellate courts can hear specialized appeal cases, especially those touching on patent laws. According to the US government, of about 7,000 appealed cases every year, the Supreme Court hears only 2% of the cases, while the courts of appeals determine the rest.
Structure
The US has 94 district courts, also known as trial courts. Each state has between one and four trial courts. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia also have one court each, while the insular areas have territorial courts. The 94 district courts are organized into twelve circuits, with each circuit having a court of appeals. The 13th circuit is the Federal Circuit. Both the Federal Circuit and the District of Columbia Circuit are based in Washington. The other eleven circuits are numbered First to Eleventh Circuit and are, respectively, headquartered in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Richmond, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Chicago, St Louis, San Francisco, Denver, and Atlanta. In total, there are thirteen courts of appeals spread throughout…
Read More: US Courts of Appeal – WorldAtlas