Federal courts of general jurisdiction (US District Courts, etc.) handle both civil and criminal cases.
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The authority of a court to rule on certain cases is known as the jurisdiction of the court. State courts have jurisdiction over matters within that state, and different levels of courts have jurisdiction over lawsuits involving different amounts of money. Federal courts have jurisdiction over lawsuits between citizens of different states, or cases based on federal statutes.
Both the US Supreme Court and the US District Courts share original jurisdiction over cases involving foreign diplomats; however, Congress has decided to allow the US District Courts to exercise original jurisdiction in this area. The Supreme Court may choose to hear these cases, but does not.
AnswerThe US Courts of Appeals Circuit Courts have appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from US District Courts within their geographical territory (they hear appeals of cases tried in US District Courts).AnswerReview and rule on cases referred to them from the US District Courts under their jurisdiction.
US Special Courts or courts of special jurisdiction hear a variety of cases, each related to a particular subject matter. For example, US Bankruptcy Courts hear bankruptcy cases; US Tax Court hears federal tax cases; the US Court of Federal Claims hears cases involving monetary damages against the US government; the US Court of Appeals for Veteran's Claims hears appeals of decisions made by the Board of Veteran's Appeals, and so on. Military courts are also considered special courts.