American Court System in United States

Practical Information

Note: Some of this information was last updated in 1982

In the 80s

The plan by which American courts are organized and conducted. The American court system consists of federal courts plus the various systems of all the states. The courts of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are part of the federal court system although both are organized similarly to state court systems. The Supreme Court of the United States is the apex in the hierarchy of courts, both federal and state.

State Courts

Each state system consists of the state’s highest apellate court (in U.S. law) and of courts of original jurisdiction, that is, courts where suits are initiated. States with a large volume of cases also have intermediary appellate courts (in U.S. law) to relieve the congestion of cases in the highest court. A case is brought and tried in a lower court and may be appealed to a higher court having appellate jurisdiction until it reaches the state’s highest appellate court, or, in some cases, the United States Supreme Court. Under most state systems, the state is divided into circuits or districts with a court for each. Usually court is held in each county seat and the judges travel the “circuit” to the county seats to hold court. Other states have only one superior, or trial court, which is composed of geographical divisions. The distinction is reflected in the wording of the captions on court papers. For example, Mississippi is divided into 17 judicial circuits, with a separate court for each. The captions on the court papers read: in the circuit court of the first judicial district of hinds county (in U.S. law), mississippi (in U.S. law) On the other hand, there is only one superior court of Massachusetts, which is composed of divisions according to counties. The captions on the court papers read as follows:commonwealth of Massachusetts Essex (in U.S. law), superior court (in U.S. law). In many jurisdictions the courts are also divided into parts for the purpose of facilitating the court’s work. There is no standard principle upon which the division is based. The judge presiding in Part One sends cases to the different trial parts. After a case is assigned to a certain part, that part is designated in the caption. The courts in one state have no control over, or relation to, the courts in another state the hierarchy in each state is complete. Nor do the federal courts, with the exception of the Supreme Court of the United States, have any relation to the state courts.

Federal Courts

When the United States first adopted its Constitution, a rivalry and jealousy existed among the states that made up the Union and between the federal government and the respective state governments. The citizens of one state were fearful that they would not receive a fair verdict from judge or jury in another state. The federal government feared that the state courts would not interpret and enforce the national laws to the best of their ability. To avoid any miscarriage of justice that might result from interstate antagonism, the Congress provided for a federal system of courts for the trial of cases involving federal laws and interstate commerce and, also, cases involving diversity of citizenship cases brought by a citizen of one state against a citizen of another state. The federal system of courts consisted, in the 80s, of the Supreme Court of the United States, 11 courts of appeal, 90 district courts, a court of claims, a customs court, an emergency court of appeals, and a tax court. The United States was divided into 11 judicial circuits10 are comprised of several states each, and there is in addition the District of Columbia Circuit.

Federal District Courts

Each state has at least one district court. Some states are divided into two, three, or four districts with a court for each district. Many of the district courts are divided into divisions. It is important to know whether or not a district court is divided into divisions because the division must appear in the caption on papers filed in that court. In the above examples, the underscored words change according to the state, district, and division.

(Revised by Ann De Vries)

What is American Court System?

For a meaning of it, read American Court System in the Legal Dictionary here. Browse and search more U.S. and international free legal definitions and legal terms related to American Court System.