civil & criminal procedure mark pollitt associate professor
DESCRIPTION
Hierarchy of Federal Courts U. S. District Court – District Court Judges – Magistrate Judges Circuit Court of Appeals – Panels – En Banc U. S. Supreme CourtTRANSCRIPT
Civil & Criminal Procedure
Mark PollittAssociate Professor
Federal Courts
• Supreme Court established by the Constitution
• Congress created lower courts• Two basic kinds of Federal Courts– General jurisdiction– Specialized (limited jurisdiction) Courts
• Two functions:– Trial Courts (courts of original jurisdiction)– Appellate Courts
Hierarchy of Federal Courts
• U. S. District Court– District Court Judges– Magistrate Judges
• Circuit Court of Appeals– Panels– En Banc
• U. S. Supreme Court
Other Federal Courts
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court• U.S. Court of Federal Claims• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces• U.S. Tax Court• U.S. Court for International Trade
Civil Procedure
• FRCP– http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/RulesAndPolici
es/rules/2010%20Rules/Civil%20Procedure.pdf– http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
• FRCrP– http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/RulesAndPolici
es/rules/2010%20Rules/Criminal%20Procedure.pdf
– http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp
It is important to remember:
• Courts have physical, legal, and geographical jurisdiction
• There are trial and appellate courts• Civil and criminal cases have similar processes,
but have different sets of rules• The vast majority of trials are state and local