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On the fourth floor of the The Supreme Court building they have a Court gym, including a Basketball court and it is referred to jokingly as "the highest court in the land."
There is no court higher than the US Supreme Court. They are the ultimate arbiters of law in the US, and it's well-established in prior court cases that the Supreme Court is not required to abide by the decisions of any other court, even international ones.
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SteveUS Court of Appeals Circuit Courts
In the US federal court system, the US District Courts have original (trial) jurisdiction over most cases. The US Court of Appeals Circuit Court with jurisdiction over each District's territory is above the District Court and may consider appeals of its decisions. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest appellate court in the federal court system, above all District and Circuit Courts.
The standard answer is: all of them. This is true only when the US Supreme Court has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over a case. State courts are not lower than the US Supreme Court on matters involving the interpretation and application of state laws.
The US Supreme Court is head of the Judicial Branch of government. The "inferior" courts in this branch are:
- US District Courts
- US Court of International Trade
- US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts
None. The US Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the United States, and the ultimate arbiter of any case it hears. Matters decided by the Court are considered res judicata, meaning they have received final judgment and are no longer eligible for appeal.
The companion doctrine of collateral estoppel prevents either party from bringing a new suit related to any matter in the case decided. Neither party can seek to retry the case on different grounds.
The only exception is when the Supreme Court issues an opinion and chooses to remand (return) the case to a lower court for further action. This may occur if the Court determines certain evidence should have been admissible at trial, or if a judge made a procedural error that results in the case needing to be retried. Cases are remanded at the sole discretion of the Court.
There isn't one.
There are checks and balances, though. If Congress disagrees with a Supreme Court decision, in many cases they can change the law. It gets trickier if the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional ... at that point Congress can either try to change the law so that it no longer contradicts the constitution, or they can (much more difficult, because it involves more than just Congress) try to amend the Constitution.
But that's a separate issue; the Supreme Court is called the Supreme Court for a reason.
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Does the US have a Supreme Court and some smaller courts?
Yes. The US Supreme Court has highest appellate jurisdiction in the US. The other constitutional courts of the Judicial Branch -- the 94 US District Court, 13 US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts, US Court of International Trade -- are below the Supreme Court. There are also courts in the Legislative Branch of government, such as Bankruptcy Courts and US Tax Courts, that are lower than the Supreme Court.
What word does the Constitution use to describe courts that have less power than the Supreme Court?
Article III refers to such courts as "inferior," although certain lower courts are also described as "tribunals" in other parts of the Constitution.
What are the three types of state courts?
The names (or existence) of particular courts will vary state by state, but generally states have a trial courts which has general jurisdiction, trial courts with specific jurisdiction over some specific type of case such as traffic offenses, appeals courts, and a state supreme court.
Which court is HIGHER district or circuit?
In the Federal court system, the district courts are the "lowest" courts. Cases usually start in district court and are decided there. The circuit courts are courts of appeal. That means that you can appeal a district court's ruling to the circuit court (and then to the Supreme Court, if you still don't like the ruling). In that sense, the circuit courts are "higher" than the district courts.
Are state supreme court judges more powerful than US Supreme Court Justices?
No, the state supreme courts only interpret policy for legislation or the constitution specific to the state over which it presides. The state supreme court is the final arbiter on those issues. On questions of Federal and constitutional law, the Supreme Court of the United States holds more authority.
