The Federal Judicial System

SUPREME COURT

9 Justices

U.S. COURT

OF APPEALS

Federal Circuit

(Judges sit in panels of three on cases involving customs, patents, and many other claims.)

U.S. COURT

OF APPEALS

12 Circuits

(Three-judge panels, not the entire circuit court, hear almost all cases.)

U.S. COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

(The U.S. Customs Court and also the International Trade Commission.)

U.S. CLAIMS COURTS and some special agencies (E.g., Boards of Contract Appeals, the Patent and Trademark Office, and Merit Systems Protection Board)

U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTS

U.S. MAGISTRATES

As for the state courts, they are generally open to hear any type of case unless it is precluded by the U.S. Constitution or federal statutes or treaties. Most com­mon law areas – for instance, torts, contracts, crimes – tend to be brought before state courts.

In criminal cases, courts apply their own substantive and procedural laws, regardless of where the acts were committed; however, almost all criminal prosecutions take place in the same state where the alleged crime occurred.

Once a court with jurisdiction renders a judgement, the U.S. Constitution's "full faith and credit" clause requires that, as between the parties to the lawsuit, the judgement must be honored by other states' courts.

State judges are sometimes appointed, sometimes elected.

Vocabulary

administrative agency n административный орган

adversarial adj состязательный (в судебном процессе)

advisory adj совещательный, консультативный

alleged adj заявленный, наличествующий

arena n арена

circuit court n выездная сессия окружного суда (в ряде штатов США); сircuit court of appeals окружной апелляционный суд (федеральный суд 2-ой инстанции в США)

commence v начинать; commence proceedings начинать; возбудить

производство по делу

controversy n спор

county court n суд округа штата

crucial adj решающий

discretion n усмотрение; within the discretion на усмотрение

district court n 1 федеральный районный суд (федеральный суд первой

инстанции в США); 2 местный суд (в ряде штатов США)

diversity jurisdiction n неединообразная юриспруденция

domestic relations court n суд по семейным делам (местный суд специальной

юрисдикции в штате)

entrust v вверять; возлагать

establish v 1 учреждать; 2 устраивать

“full faith and credit” clause пункт о признании и доверии (по Конституции

США признание законов и судебных решений)

furnish v предоставлять, обеспечивать

hold v syn consider, believe полагать, признавать, считать

hold office v занимать должность

holding n судебное решение

inferior adj нижестоящий; inferior jurisdiction нижестоящая юрисдикция,

нижестоящая инстанция; appellate jurisdiction апелляционная юрисдикция;

original jurisdiction юрисдикция суда первой инстанции

invalid adj юридически недействительный; не имеющий силы

jurisdiction n юрисдикция

justice n судья; chief justice старший судья; председательствующий судья;

associate justice член суда

landlord n 1 собственник недвижимости; 2 арендодатель

litigant n тяжущаяся сторона

orphan n сирота

overlapping adj (частично) совпадающий; overlap v покрывать

particularized adj перечисленный

preclude v исключать

Probate Court v суд по делам о наследствах

procedural law n процессуальное право

provision n положение

removal n передача, перенос (дела из одной инстанции в другую)

render a judgement v выносить судебное решение

review by appeal пересмотр в порядке апелляции

rule v признавать

rung n ступенька

small claims court n суд по делам с небольшой суммой денег

subject-matter jurisdiction n предметная подсудность

Supreme Court n Верховный суд (федеральный и в большинстве штатов США)

tenant n арендатор

traffic court n транспортный суд

trial court n суд первой инстанции

Reading tasks

Answer these questions.

1 What are two main court systems in the U.S.?

2 What is the structure of the federal court system?

3 How does the federal court system work?

4 What are the main functions of the U.S. Supreme Court?

5 What power has Congress concerning the Supreme Court?

6 In what cases has the Supreme Court direct jurisdiction?

7 In what way is the Supreme Court different from all other U.S. courts?

8 What are the U.S. federal courts and their functions?

9 What offences are tried by the federal courts?

10 Where are the most serious offences tried?

11 At what level is a jury trial possible?

12 What are the U.S. state courts and their functions?

13 How can a state case be appealed to the federal level?

14 Which courts deal with appeals?

15 What areas are called “federal questions”?

Comprehension check

Mark these sentences T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text.

1. The Supreme Court consists of the chief justice and ten associate justices.

2. The Supreme Court has the right to declare unconstitutional some laws passed by the Congress.

3. The USA is divided into twelve judicial circuits.

4. There are about two hundred district judges in the USA.

5. In most of the states the lowest courts are the magistrates or police courts.

6. Most of the criminal and civil cases are tried by district courts.

7. Special courts hear appeals from lower courts.

Language focus

A Read these statements. Then ask questions about the underlined words.

1 The witness recognized Harry Adams.

Who recognized Harry Adams?

2 The witness recognized Harry Adams.

Who did the witness recognize?

3 The court session begins at 9:00 a.m.

__________________________

4. Five witnesses testified.

__________________________

4. The jury found Adams guilty because he didn't have an alibi.

__________________________

4. Something horrible happened.

__________________________

4. The trial lasted two weeks.

__________________________

4. The judge spoke to the jury.

__________________________

4. Adams paid his barrister £2.000.

__________________________

4. The prosecution questioned the restaurant manager.

__________________________

B Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets, active or passive.

In the United States, as in England, decisions handed down by federal and state courts 1) _______ (constitute) a primary source of the common law. New cases requiring the interpretation of statutes 2) _______ (arise) continually. When no precedent can 3) _______ (find) the judge’s decision 4) _______ ( produce) a new legal principle.

To originate in a federal court, a case must 5) _______ (involve) a real dispute between opposing parties.

The U.S. Supreme Court 6) _______ (have) original jurisdiction over certain cases, but its main function is to review lower court decisions that 7) _______ (appeal).

A defendant who 8) _______ (not challenge) the court’s personal jurisdiction over him/her 9) _______ (deem) to have consented to that court's determination of his/her rights and obligations. However, the defense, that subject matter jurisdiction 10) _______ (lack), cannot 11) _______ (waive).