District CourtsThe only federal courts with a jury
91 total federal district courts that are divided up throughout the U.S. 678 Judges preside over District Courts Criminal and Civil Cases (Bankrupcy, Maritime Law, Naturalization are also tried at this level of the federal courts) | Courts of AppealJudges make rulings
12 total Courts of Appeal 178 Judges preside over the Courts of Appeal Correct mistakes made at District level |
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
The Supreme Court only looks at cases that are being appealed because of decisions made at one of the twelve courts of appeals.
Before a case reaches the Courts of Appeals, they are tried in one of ninety one district courts.
Famous Cases of the Supreme Court that most high school students should know are:
Dred Scott v. Sandford- Dred Scott was a slave who was traded to a man living in a free state, and when the man died he sued his wife, the Supreme Court decided that African-American slaves are not considered citizens, but are really property and don't have rights.
Plessy v. Ferguson- Plessy was 1/8th African-American and wanted to ride on the "all white" train. He was arrested for being on the wrong train. He appealed his arrest and the Supreme Court decided that segregation was constitutional if equal, called "seperate but equal."
Brown v. Board of Education- NAACP contest the issue of seperate but equal using Linda Brown's case. She went to a school that was similar to the white school, but the NAACP was able to prove that that is not acceptable. The Supreme Court ruled that Seperate but Equal is not constitutional.
The Supreme Court only looks at cases that are being appealed because of decisions made at one of the twelve courts of appeals.
Before a case reaches the Courts of Appeals, they are tried in one of ninety one district courts.
Famous Cases of the Supreme Court that most high school students should know are:
Dred Scott v. Sandford- Dred Scott was a slave who was traded to a man living in a free state, and when the man died he sued his wife, the Supreme Court decided that African-American slaves are not considered citizens, but are really property and don't have rights.
Plessy v. Ferguson- Plessy was 1/8th African-American and wanted to ride on the "all white" train. He was arrested for being on the wrong train. He appealed his arrest and the Supreme Court decided that segregation was constitutional if equal, called "seperate but equal."
Brown v. Board of Education- NAACP contest the issue of seperate but equal using Linda Brown's case. She went to a school that was similar to the white school, but the NAACP was able to prove that that is not acceptable. The Supreme Court ruled that Seperate but Equal is not constitutional.