This paper examines the structure, authority, and administrative functions of federal and state courts in the United States. It outlines how federal courts are established under Article III of the U.S. Constitution and describes the hierarchy from the U.S. Supreme Court through appellate and district courts to specialized trial courts. The paper identifies the types of cases handled at each federal level, compares key functional similarities between federal and state courts, and analyzes the roles of court administrators across trial, appellate, and limited jurisdiction courts. Alabama's three-tiered court system is presented as a state-level case study. The paper concludes with an explanation of quasi-judicial bodies and adjudicatory proceedings in administrative law.
The constitutions and laws of individual states establish the courts within each state. In most states, the highest court is the Supreme Court, although some states also have an intermediate court of appeals. The federal court system is established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution, while Article II creates the U.S. Supreme Court and grants Congress the authority to establish lower federal courts (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1).
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judicial system. Congress has established two levels of federal court beneath the U.S. Supreme Court: (1) the trial courts and (2) the appellate courts. The United States Supreme Court is comprised of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices.
The U.S. District Courts serve as the trial courts of the federal judicial system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts "have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters" (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1). There is at least one district in each state, for a total of 94 federal judicial districts. A United States bankruptcy court operates within each district. Three U.S. territories — the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands — also have district courts that hear federal and bankruptcy cases (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1).
Two special trial courts exist with nationwide jurisdiction over specific types of cases:
(1) The Court of International Trade hears cases pertaining to international trade and customs issues. (2) The United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over most claims for monetary damages against the United States, federal contract disputes, unlawful takings of private property by the federal government, and various other claims against the United States (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1).
The appellate courts are comprised of 94 judicial districts divided into 12 regional circuits, each of which contains a U.S. court of appeals. The court of appeals hears appeals from the district court situated within its circuit and also hears appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit holds nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in special cases, such as patent law matters and appeals from the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1).
Federal courts handle cases concerning the constitutionality of a law, cases involving the laws and treaties of the United States, and cases involving ambassadors and public ministers. Federal courts additionally address disputes between two or more states, admiralty law, bankruptcy law, and habeas corpus issues (United States Courts, 2013, p. 1).
The key similarities in the functions of federal versus state courts are outlined below.
Congress has used its constitutional authority to establish the 13 U.S. courts of appeals, the 94 U.S. district courts, the U.S. Court of Claims, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. U.S. bankruptcy courts handle bankruptcy cases, and magistrate judges handle some district court matters. States also usually have courts that handle specific legal matters — for example, probate court (wills and estates), juvenile court, and family court.
Parties dissatisfied with a decision of a U.S. district court, the U.S. Court of Claims, or the U.S. Court of International Trade may appeal to a U.S. court of appeals. Similarly, parties dissatisfied with the decision of a state trial court may take their cases to the intermediate court of appeals.
A party may ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision of a U.S. court of appeals, but the Supreme Court is generally under no obligation to do so. The U.S. Supreme Court is the final arbiter of federal constitutional questions. At the state level, parties have the option to ask the highest state court to hear the case. Only certain state court cases are eligible for review by the U.S. Supreme Court (United States Courts, 2013).
Duties of the trial court administrator include: (1) development and management of the court budget; (2) management of staff training, monitoring, hiring, firing, and compliance with federal statutes; (3) management of the facility; (4) case management; (5) jury management; (6) collection of fines and fees; and (7) development and maintenance of an information system for managing caseloads.
In trial courts, court administration and leadership is shared among the presiding judge, the clerk, and the Administrative Office of Courts. In limited jurisdiction courts, court administration may be a separate function or may be run by the Administrative Office of Courts. In appellate courts, the court administration function may be separate or shared with the Supreme Court (American Law, 2013, p. 4).
"Administrative duties in trial and appellate courts"
"Three-tiered Alabama court system explained"
"Administrative agency adjudication and legal authority"
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