THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM

Chapter 5 – The Judicial Branch

LIKE…CASES INVOLVING

• THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND ITS OFFICIALS

• FOREIGN AMBASSADORS, MINISTERS, OR CONSULS• 2 OR MORE STATES

• CITIZENS OF DIFFERENT STATES• A STATE OR ITS CITIZENS AND A

FOREIGN GOVT. OR ITS CITIZENS

WHAT THE CASE IS ABOUT CAN ALSO PUT IT UNDER FEDERAL JURISDICITON

•CASES INVOLVING THE CONSTITUTION

•CASES INVOLVING LAWS AND TREATIES OF THE U.S.

•CASES INVOLVING ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME

LAWS

THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS WAS SET UP IN

1891 TO RELIEVE THE

SUPREME COURT

FROM HEARING ALL APPEALS FROM THE DISTRICT COURTS

AND AT THE HIGHEST

LEVEL OF THE FEDERAL COURT

SYSTEM...

The U.S. Supreme Court

John Roberts

Antonin Scalia

Anthony Kennedy

Clarence Thomas

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Stephen Breyer

Samuel Alito

Sonia Sotomayor

Elena Kagan

THESE ARE CASES INVOLVING LEGAL

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST AMBASSADORS OF FOREIGN NATIONS.

OR

CASES IN WHICH ANY OF THE 50 STATES ARE A

PARTY

IT USUALLY CHOOSES CASES INVOLVING

BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL

PRINCIPLES

OR

TO ISSUES ON WHICH

COURTS OF APPEALS

IN DIFFERENT CIRCUITS

HAVE REACHED

CONFLICTING DECISIONS