The United States judicial system is made up of federal and state courts. This essay examines the specific differences between these two levels, focusing on structures, types of cases heard, and judge selection methods. Knowing these distinctions helps people understand how American law works in different situations. Consequently, by comparing and contrasting them, we can gain a better understanding of some of the basic ideas behind federalism and how it affects states’ rights as well as national jurisdiction (About Federal Courts, 2009).
Trial Courts are the starting points for legal disputes where they are filed initially before being resolved by judges or juries. They play a crucial role in finding out facts about what happened in order to decide whether someone has committed an offense or not (civil cases) and determine guilt (criminal cases).
Appellate Courts are high up in the hierarchy because they review decisions made at lower levels, such as trial courts. They are concerned with checking to see if there were mistakes made during proceedings that could have affected outcomes unfairly; however, usually, factual evidence cannot be re-examined.
Courts of Last Resort, which are mostly referred to as supreme courts, hold the highest powers within their respective judicial setups. On the other hand, the Federal Court System has three basic levels, which include district (first level), circuit appeal (second stage), and US Supreme Court, constituting the final jurisdictional tier, among others. This means that while district courts are found in all states, circuit courts have broader jurisdiction covering more than one state. Such a layout ensures addressing specific issues related to each state as well as general federal matters within its geographical boundaries.
In terms of selecting judges at the state level, there are several ways through which they can be chosen, including popular elections by people or governor’s appointments only, or both appointment combined elections depending on individual jurisdictions. The selection process varies across different states. In the federal system, judges, including Supreme Court Justices, are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate (About Federal Courts, 2009). By following this procedure, the government ensures equitable distribution of powers as provided for in the constitution, whereby lifetime tenured judiciary officers must undergo legal scrutiny tests before assuming their posts.
Most cases handled in state courts fall under categories such as criminal issues, family disputes (custody battles), contract disagreements between businesses/individuals involved, and personal injuries suffered as a result of automobile accidents, among others. These courts hear many cases that involve laws enacted by individual states, whereas federal ones usually deal with those based on the US Constitution as well as conflicts between/among states like other sovereign entities together with matters concerning foreign governance/officership within American soil (The Judicial Learning Center, 2021). Examples include bankruptcy suits or any litigation involving US govt parties. When one speaks of federalism in relation to court systems, it means that there is a division of judicial powers between state and central governments. Therefore, it is necessary for an appropriate forum to decide upon hearing cases depending on the complexity involved in order to match up justice demands with current realities around us today.
REFERENCES
About federal courts (2009). https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/.
The Judicial Learning Center (2021) What is the difference between state and federal courts? | The Judicial Learning Center. https://judiciallearningcenter.org/state-courts-vs-federal-courts/.
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