| A | B |
|---|
| Jurisdiction | the power and authority given to a court to hear a case and to make a judgment |
| federal court jurisdiction includes: | actions between state and citizens, cases re: interpretation of US Constitution, Diversity of citizenship cases, admiralty,patent-right,copyright,and bankruptcy cases |
| Three tiers of Federal Courts | US District Courts, US Courts of Appeals, Supreme Court of the US |
| District Courts | orig. jurisdiction over most fed. court cases, 1 US district per state, total of 85 district courts |
| Courts of appeals | intermediate courts betw lower courts and highest court |
| Appellate courts | authority to hear appeals,review cases, appellate jurisdiction |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | any party to a suit decided in a federal district court may appeal decision to the fed. court of appeals in circuit where tried |
| # of judicial circuits | 13 |
| Special US Courts | suits by citizens against the fed. govt., disagreement over taxes on imported goods, disputes between taxpayers and IRS |
| US Supreme Court | highest court in the land, orig jurisdiction in |
