The Constitution does not specify a number of different things about the Supreme Court including:Qualifications Necessary to become a Supreme Court Judge or any Federal JudgeNumber of justices on the CourtDistinction between Chief Justice and Associate JusticesLength of Service or Term (it is implied to be a life term, but never made explicit)How to leave the Supreme CourtResponsibility for Circuit CourtsWhen the Court's Term begins and endsThe Proper Relationship with Lower Courts, i.e. that cases in the District Courts must go through the US Courts of Appeals / Circuit Courts before going to the Supreme CourtRequirement for a Writ of Certiorari (for a case to be heard)Judicial Reivew
Jerrymandering
4 years
Federal courts in the United States are sometimes classified as "Article I courts," "Article II courts" and "Article III courts," in reference to the first three articles of the U.S. Constitution: Article I addresses the legislative power of the federal government, which includes Congress's power over non-state territories (e.g., American Samoa). Article I courts include territorial courts (U.S. District Court for the Virgin Islands, for example), and also some specialized courts created by Congress for specific purposes (such as the United States Tax Court and the United States Court of Military Appeals). Judges of Article I courts generally do not have the constitutional protections of life tenure or salary protection, and are instead often appointed for fixed terms (such as 10 or 14 years). Article II addresses the executive power of the federal government, which includes the President's power as commander in chief. The term "Article II court" is rarely used (and there isn't really a solid distinction between an "Article I court" and an "Article II court"), but military courts martial are sometimes considered Article II courts. So, too, are military commissions, and the anomalous U.S. Court for Berlin. (Note, by contrast, the U.S. Court for China, which is considered an Article I court.) Article III addresses the judicial power of the federal government. The vast majority of federal courts are "Article III courts," including the U.S. Supreme Court, the various U.S. Courts of Appeals (for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, D.C. and Federal Circuits), and all of the United States District Courts other than the territorial courts. The U.S. Court of International Trade is also an Article III court. Judges of Article III courts enjoy salary protection and life tenure (that is, they may only be removed by impeachment and conviction).
It could be. The lowest level of Article III courts in the U.S. is called United States District Court, and the judges are typically referred to as United States District Court Judges. However, many states also call some level of their courts district courts as well, and those judges would commonly be referred to as district judges as well.
Yes and no. There is, necessarily, a high court in every state (e.g., the California Supreme Court). These courts hear appeals from the state trial courts, which are sometimes called "district courts" depending on the state (for example, in Washington state, the county district courts have exclusive jurisdiction over small claims and infractions). Usually, however, the term "district court" is used to mean the United States District Courts. The U.S. District Courts are federal courts (not state courts), and there is one in every state and territory, but that is a measure of jurisdiction only, and the state geographical boundaries are by no means necessary. The U.S. District Courts are the federal trial courts and cases are appealed to the U.S. Circuit Courts (U.S. Courts of Appeals) and the United States Supreme Court.
"General Trials Courts" is not a term of art. Most states have 2 levels of courts-sometimes called a County Court with the other sometimes called a Circuit Court. Other states call them by different names. They are usually further subdivided into those that hear civil and those that hear criminal cases. Lower dollar-amount cases are heard in county court, as are lower-severity crimes (usually misdemeanors). The reverse is true for the Circuit courts. Each state specifies the jurisdiction of each court. What they all have in common is that they are the trial-level courts. Witnesses testify, evidence is presented, and the judge or jury makes a decision based upon prevailing law. This is contrasted to an appeals court that determines is the correct law was applied correctly, and does not re-hear the evidence. There is a similar dichotomy between levels of Federal Courts. The trial courts are called U.S. District Courts and the appeals courts are called U.S. District Courts of Appeal.
Common Law Audit Privilege
Judges in US District Courts serve under Article III constitutional guidelines, which state they hold office "during good behavior." This means their term of office is for life, as long as they don't commit an impeachable offense.
the president deferring to members of the president's party from each state in choosing nominees to district courts
The Federal court system. The Article III courts, which comprise the Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts, the US Court of International Trade, and the US District Courts are additionally part of the Judicial Branch. No other federal courts are included in the judicial branch; most are technically part of the Legislative Branch.
The term "cobbk12" refers to the website for the Cobb County School District Kindergarten through 12th Grade schools. You can get more information about this online at the Cobbk12 Organization website.
Functional significance is a term applied to characters.
Judge Owens was elected to the bench. He was not appointed to a partial term by the JNC/ Governor prior to taking office.
Washington, DC is not a state, but federal territory. As such, they do not have any state courts. Cases for the District of Columbia are tried and appealed in the federal court system.
In the federal Judicial Branch, the intermediate appellate courts are the thirteen US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts. The states use different naming conventions for their intermediate appellate courts.
Trial courts in the California state court system are called Superior Courts. Unlike many states, California only has one type of trial court. This means that all cases, from small claims, to divorce, to misdemeanors, to felonies are heard by the Superior Courts. Each county in California has its own Superior Court. Within a county, there may be multiple Superior Court locations. In larger counties, there are separate divisions within a Superior Court for different types of cases. For more information on California Superior Courts and information on your local Superior Court, visit the California Court Directory related link.