This division generally applies to state and federal courts. District courts are the general procedural courts of the federal judicial system. Each district court has at least one U.S. District Judge appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for life. District courts handle trials within the federal court system – both civil and criminal. The counties are the same as those of U.S. prosecutors, and the U.S. attorney is the chief prosecutor of the federal government in his respective jurisdictions. Download a map of how federal courts are divided into twelve regional counties and one federal district. In 70 years, the Supreme Court has never dealt with a Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. But in 2008, in District of Columbia v. Heller, five Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican presidents, changed course and concluded that the Second Amendment protects a person`s right to own a firearm not affiliated with militia service. Four justices appointed to the Court by Democratic presidents disagreed.
Less than a day after the ruling, gun rights activists began flooding courts with lawsuits that challenged all gun laws. According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, federal and state courts have issued more than 700 decisions challenging the Second Amendment since the Heller decision. Judges and courts exist to protect our most fundamental and sacred rights and freedoms as set out in the Bill of Rights, and to protect us from illegal and unwarranted government interference in our lives. The decision made it difficult for the federal government, including the courts, to hold states accountable for discriminatory election practices. The four judges appointed by the Democratic presidents wanted to maintain the protection of the VRA. When those who come to the courthouse shelter arrive to participate in the glory and majesty of our beloved justice system, they should know that our courts, our judges, were there for them, administered the judiciary fairly and impartially, and provided civil discourse so that respect for our justice system was preserved and maintained. In the years of Jim Crow and racial segregation, voters faced open challenges to their right to vote, including grandfather clauses, voting taxes, literacy tests, and blatant intimidation and violence. In response to these repressive and anti-democratic practices, legal safeguards such as the Voting Rights Act or the VRA of 1965 were adopted to ensure that eligible voters could exercise their right to vote. The VRA has been called the most powerful civil rights law in the country. As a nation, however, we are still a long way from ensuring that all Americans have equal access to elections.
The Supreme Court usually hears cases that have already been brought before the system of federal courts of appeals and sometimes state supreme courts. Unlike appellate courts, the Supreme Court is not required to hear all cases before it. In fact, the Supreme Court hears only a very small percentage of the cases it is supposed to hear. If a Supreme Court does not hear a case, the decision of the Court of Appeal stands. In 2001, the district courts heard more than 57,000 cases, but the Supreme Court heard and decided fewer than 90. In the McCutcheon case, four justices appointed by Democratic presidents objected and upheld the appropriate contribution limits imposed by Congress. Lower federal courts were required to follow the decision, prompting one federal judge to exclaim, “The reality today is that the voices of `we the people` are too often drowned out by the few people with great resources. Judges and courts have a significant impact on our daily lives, and we entrust them with making some of the most important decisions that affect us. Think about that for a moment. Only a judge can grant a divorce, confirm an adoption, order the termination of parental rights, sentence a person to death, impose a custodial sentence or cause a change in property rights.
The country`s 94 district or trial courts are called U.S. District Courts. District courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying the principles of law to decide who is right. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Article III of the United States Constitution created the Supreme Court and empowered Congress to pass legislation to establish a system of lower courts. In the current form of the federal judicial system, there are 94 district courts of first instance and 13 courts of appeal below the Supreme Court. Learn more about the Supreme Court. Each district court has several judges ranging from six on the First Circuit to twenty-nine on the Ninth Circuit. District Court judges are appointed for life by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Any case can be challenged in the District Court once the District Court has made a decision (some issues may be challenged before a final decision by filing an “injunction”). Appeals to the district courts are first heard by a panel composed of three judges of the district court.