1. The Federal Court System
Authority of the Courts

2. Two Levels of Courts
• Federal Courts
• powers derive from:
• U.S. Constitution
• federal laws
• State Courts
• powers derive from:
• state constitutions
• State laws
(Note: sometimes called “dual court system”)

3. Jurisdiction of the Courts
• Federal Court Jurisdiction
• Concurrent Jurisdiction
• Original and Appellate Jurisdiction

4. Federal Court Jurisdiction
• Jurisdiction basically = authority to hear certain
kinds of cases
• In dual court system, state courts have
jurisdiction over cases involving state laws and
federal courts over cases involving federal laws
• Sometimes jurisdiction overlaps
• Two factors determine jurisdiction of fed courts
• Subject matter of a case
• Parties involved in case

5. Federal Court Jurisdiction (con’t)
• Federal Courts try cases
that involve:
• U.S. laws, treaties with
foreign nations, or
interpretations of the
Constitution
• Cases involving maritime
law (law of the sea),
including ships, their
crews, and disputes over
actions and rights at sea
• Cases involving
bankruptcy

6. Federal Court Jurisdiction (con’t)
• Federal courts hear cases if the following persons or
parties are involved:
• Ambassadors and other reps of foreign governments
• Two or more state governments
• The U.S. government or one of its offices or agencies
• Citizens of different states
• A state and a citizen of a different state
• A citizen of the same state claiming lands under grants of
different states
• A state or its citizens and a foreign country or its citizens

7. Concurrent Jurisdiction
• In most cases, difference between jurisdictions
is clear
• When both state and federal courts seem to
have jurisdiction, situation known as concurrent
jurisdiction
• $ amount being sued for must be at least $50K
• Suit can be tried in state court if agreed upon by
both parties, but must be tried in federal court if
at least one party insists

8. Original and Appellate Jurisdiction
• Original jurisdiction: held by the court in
which a case is originally tried
• State level: trial court
• Federal level: U.S. District Court
• Appellate Jurisdiction: held by the court in
which appeals may be heard
• State level: Appellate courts
• Federal level: U.S. Courts of Appeal

9. Federal State
U.S. Supreme
Court
Supreme Court
U.S. Court of
Appeals
Appellate
Courts
U.S. District
Courts
Trial
Courts

10. Federal Court Organization
• One Supreme Court
• 13 U.S. Circuit Courts (Courts of Appeal)
• Country divided into 11 circuits, Court of Appeals for D.C. ,
and Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
• FL located in 11th
Circuit w/ GA and AL
• 11th
Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, but occasionally hears cases
in Jacksonville, Miami, Mobile, and Montgomery
• FL has 3 District Courts: Northern, Middle, and
Southern District Courts
• Although the Middle District Court HQ is in Orlando, there
is a Tampa Division at the Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
on N. Florida Ave.

11. 3 Types of Law in Federal Court
• Civil
• Criminal
• Constitutional

12. Civil Law
• Represent most cases in federal courts
• Disputes between:
• 2 or more individuals
• Individuals and the government
• Plaintiff brings charges against a defendant
• Usually suing for damages and court costs
• Equity law…resolved on grounds of fairness
• Plaintiff often seeks injunction or writ of mandamus

13. Criminal Law
• U.S. government charges someone with
breaking a federal law
• Government is always the prosecution
• May involve crimes such as tax fraud,
counterfeiting, selling narcotics, mail fraud,
kidnapping, driving a stolen car across state
lines

14. Constitutional Law
• Relates to the meaning and application of the
U.S. Constitution
• Usually involves deciding limits of the
government’s power and the rights of the
individual
• May deal with either civil or criminal law
• If a lower court’s decision is appealed, the
Supreme Court makes the final ruling

15. Legal System Principles
• Equal Justice Under the Law
• Goal of court system to treat everyone alike
• Spelled out by 5th
thru 8th
Amendments
• Due Process of Law
• Means a law must be applied in a fair manner
• The Adversary System
• Lawyers do their best to represent their clients
• The courtroom is like an arena

16. Legal System Principles
• Presumption of Innocence
• Person is presumed innocent until proven guilty
• Burden of proving an accusation falls on
prosecution
• Unless prosecution succeeds in proving accusation,
court must declare the defendant not guilty
• Burden of proof:
• Criminal case: beyond a reasonable doubt
• Civil case: by a preponderance of the evidence