List of American Courts in the United States
List of current American Courts
Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court
United States Courts of Appeals
First Circuit
Second Circuit
Third Circuit
Fourth Circuit
Fifth Circuit
Sixth Circuit
Seventh Circuit
Eighth Circuit
Ninth Circuit
Tenth Circuit
Eleventh Circuit
District of Columbia Circuit
Federal Circuit
U.S. District Courts
Alabama Middle
Alabama Northern
Alabama Southern
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas Eastern
Arkansas Western
California Central
California Eastern
California Northern
California Southern
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida Middle
Florida Northern
Florida Southern
Georgia Middle
Georgia Northern
Georgia Southern
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois Central
Illinois Northern
Illinois Southern
Indiana Northern
Indiana Southern
Iowa Northern
Iowa Southern
Kansas
Kentucky Eastern
Kentucky Western
Louisiana Eastern
Louisiana Middle
Louisiana Western
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan Eastern
Michigan Western
Minnesota
Mississippi Northern
Mississippi Southern
Missouri Eastern
Missouri Western
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York Eastern
New York Northern
New York Southern
New York Western
North Carolina Eastern
North Carolina Middle
North Carolina Western
North Dakota
Northern Mariana Islands
Ohio Northern
Ohio Southern
Oklahoma Eastern
Oklahoma Northern
Oklahoma Western
Oregon
Pennsylvania Eastern
Pennsylvania Middle
Pennsylvania Western
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee Eastern
Tennessee Middle
Tennessee Western
Texas Eastern
Texas Northern
Texas Southern
Texas Western
Utah
Vermont
Virgin Islands
Virginia Eastern
Virginia Western
Washington Eastern
Washington Western
West Virginia Northern
West Virginia Southern
Wisconsin Eastern
Wisconsin Western
Wyoming
United States Bankruptcy Courts
Alabama Middle
Alabama Northern
Alabama Southern
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas Eastern & Western
California Central
California Eastern
California Northern
California Southern
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida Middle
Florida Northern
Florida Southern
Georgia Middle
Georgia Northern
Georgia Southern
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois Central
Illinois Northern
Illinois Southern
Indiana Northern
Indiana Southern
Iowa Northern
Iowa Southern
Kansas
Kentucky Eastern
Kentucky Western
Louisiana Eastern
Louisiana Middle
Louisiana Western
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan Eastern
Michigan Western
Minnesota
Mississippi Northern
Mississippi Southern
Missouri Eastern
Missouri Western
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York Eastern
New York Northern
New York Southern
New York Western
North Carolina Eastern
North Carolina Middle
North Carolina Western
North Dakota
Ohio Northern
Ohio Southern
Oklahoma Eastern
Oklahoma Northern
Oklahoma Western
Oregon
Pennsylvania Eastern
Pennsylvania Middle
Pennsylvania Western
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee Eastern
Tennessee Middle
Tennessee Western
Texas Eastern
Texas Northern
Texas Southern
Texas Western
Utah
Vermont
Virginia Eastern
Virginia Western
Washington Eastern
Washington Western
West Virginia Northern
West Virginia Southern
Wisconsin Eastern
Wisconsin Western
Wyoming
United States Probation and Pretrial Services
Alabama Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Alabama Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Alaska
Arizona Pretrial Services
Arizona Probation Office
Arkansas Western Prob/Pretrial Office
California Central Pretrial Services
California Central Probation Office
California Eastern Probation Office
California Northern Probation Office
California Southern Pretrial Services
California Southern Probation Office
Colorado Prob/Pretrial Office
Connecticut Prob/Pretrial Office
Delaware Prob/Pretrial Office
District of Columbia Prob/Pretrial Office
Florida Northern Prob/Pretrial Services
Georgia Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Georgia Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Georgia Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Hawaii
Guam Prob/Pretrial Office
Idaho Prob/Pretrial Office
Illinois Northern Pretrial Services
Illinois Northern Probation Office
Illinois Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Indiana Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Indiana Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Iowa Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Kansas Prob/Pretrial Office
Kentucky Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Louisiana Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Maine Prob/Pretrial Office
Maryland
Massachusetts Probation Office
Michigan Eastern Pretrial Services
Michigan Eastern Probation Office
Michigan Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Minnesota Prob/Pretrial Office
Mississippi Southern Prob/Pretrial Services
Missouri Eastern Pretrial Services
Missouri Eastern Probation Office
Missouri Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Montana
Nebraska Pretrial Services
Nebraska Probation Office
Nevada
New Hampshire Prob/Pretrial Office
New Jersey Pretrial Services
New Jersey Probation Office
New Mexico Prob/Pretrial Office
New York Eastern Pretrial Services
New York Eastern Probation Office
New York Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
New York Southern Probation Office
New York Western Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
North Carolina Western Prob/Pretrial Office
North Dakota
Ohio Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Ohio Southern Pretrial Services
Ohio Southern Probation Office
Oklahoma Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Oklahoma Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Oklahoma Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Oregon Probation Office
Pennsylvania Eastern Probation Office
Pennsylvania Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Puerto Rico Prob/Pretrial Office
Rhode Island Prob/Pretrial Office
South Carolina
South Dakota Probation and Pretrial Services
Tennessee Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Tennessee Middle Prob/Pretrial Office
Tennessee Western Probation Office
Texas Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Texas Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
Texas Southern Probation Office
Texas Western Pretrial Services
Texas Western Probation Office
Utah
Vermont Prob/Pretrial Office
Virginia Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Washington Western Prob/Pretrial Office
West Virginia Northern Prob/Pretrial Office
West Virginia Southern Prob/Pretrial Office
Wisconsin Eastern Prob/Pretrial Office
Wisconsin Western Prob/Pretrial Office
Wyoming Prob/Pretrial Office
State Courts in Alphabetical Order
History of American Courts in the early XX Century and before
Courts of the United States
They have jurisdiction exclusive of the State courts in the following cases:
- crimes cognizable under the authority of the United States;
- suits for penalties and forfeitures incurred under United States laws;
- civil causes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction;
- seizures on land or on waters not within admiralty and maritime jurisdiction;
- cases arising under patent-right or copyright laws;
- matters and proceedings in bankruptcy;
- controversies of a civil nature, where a State was a party, except between a State and its citizens, or between a State and citizens of other States, or aliens;
- suits and proceedings against ambassadors or public ministers, or their domestics or domestic servants, or against consuls or vice-consuls.
Senate
The Senate was already in the early XX Century a court of impeachment to try the President, Vice-President, and civil officers of the United States for treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors upon a presentment being made by the House of Representatives.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court consisted in the early XX century of one chief and eight associate justices; and sits at Washington. It had jurisdiction:
- exclusive (juisdiction) in nearly all civil cases where a State was a party, and in suits or proceedings against an ambassador or his servants;
- original jurisdiction, not exclusive, in cases between a State and its citizens, or between a State and citizens of other States, or aliens;
- in suits by an ambassador or his servants, or in which a consul or vice-consul was a party;
- it had power to issue writs of prohibition to the District Courts when proceeding in admiralty, and writs of mandamus in certain cases;
- it had appellate jurisdiction from the final judgment of any Circuit Court, or District Court acting as Circuit Court, in civil actions at law when $2,000 (in the early XX Century) was involved, by writ of error, and in cases of equity, admiralty, and maritime jurisdiction, by appeal;
- in case of division of opinion between the circuit judge and the district judge, by review;
- without regard to the amount involved, in all patent, copyright, or revenue cases;
- in cases of deprivation of rights of citizenship, suits for conspiracy against “civil rights,” cases tried by the Circuit Court without a jury;
- from the final judgment of Territorial courts or the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia where $1,000 was involved, or where United Stated statutes or treaties were brought in question; and
- from the Court of Claims from all judgments adverse to the United States, and on behalf of the plaintiff, where $3,000 was involved.
Circuit Courts
In the early XX Century there were nine circuits. The circuit courts at that time were:
- the first included the districts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island;
- the second, Vermont, Connecticut, and New York;
- the third, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware;
- the fourth, Maryland, the Virginias, and the Carolinas;
- the fifth, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas;
- the sixth, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee;
- the seventh, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin;
- the eighth, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, and New Mexico;
- the ninth, Oregon, Nevada, Califomia, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and the Territories of Alaska and Hawaii.
Each court was composed of:
- a member of the Supreme Court as Circuit Justice,
- a Circuit Judge, who shall reside within his circuit,
- and the district judge of the district where the circuit court was held; and may be held by any one of the three sitting alone, or by any two sitting together; but a district judge cannot vote on appeal or error from his own decision.
The Circuit Courts had original jurisdiction:
- in civil suits at common law or equity where $500 was involved and an alien was a party, or the suit was between a citizen of the State where it was brought and a citizen of another State,
- or of suits in equity involving $500, where the United States were petitioners,
- or at common law where the United States, or any officer thereof suing under the authority of any act of Congress, were plaintiffs;
- of suits under import, internal revenue, and postal laws;
- of patent and copyright suits, suits against national banks, suits in bankruptcy, and in divers other cases.
They have appellate jurisdiction from the District Courts in cases involving, in the late XIX century, $50, of equity, admiralty, or maritime jurisdiction. The Circuit Court meet at least
twice a year in every district.
Circuit Court of Appeals
The Circuit Court of Appeals was created by Act of March 3, 1891. Its jurisdiction was appellate
merely. In each circuit the Supreme Court justice, assigned thereto, and the circuit judges of that particular circuit, sit in the Circuit Court of Appeals, but no judge before whom a cause or question had been tried or heard in the District or Circuit Court was able to sit on the
hearing thereof on error or appeal.
In the XIX century, because there were nine circuits constituted, there were, therefore, nine of these Circuit Courts of Appeals.
District Courts
There was one or more district in every State, for which a District Judge was appointed. These courts were the lowest of the United States courts, and had original jurisdiction, besides some other lesscommon proceedings:
- of certain crimes and offences cognizable under the authority of the United States;
- of piracy, when no Circuit Court was held in the district; of suits for penalties and forfeitures incurred under United States laws;
- of suits brought by the United States or an officer thereof authorized to sue; of suits in equity to enforce internal revenue taxes;
- of suits for penalties or damages for frauds against the United States;
- of suits under postal laws;
- of all civil causes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, and of seizures on land, or waters not subject to admiralty jurisdiction;
- of suits against conspirators, as for deprivation of “civil rights”;
- of suits to recover offices in certain cases, or for the removal of officers;
- of suits against national banks; and
- of proceedings under national bankruptcy laws.
Court of Claims
The Court of Claims consisted of one chief justice and four judges, and hold one annual session at Washington.
It had jurisdiction:
- of all claims founded upon any law of Congress, or upon any regulation of an Executive Department, or upon any contract, expressed or implied, with the government of the United States, and all claims which were able to be referred to it by either House of Congress;
- of all counter claims made by the United States;
- of all claims by a disbursing officer for in relation with responsibility for government funds or papers put in his charge; and
- of all claims for captured or abandoned property.
Court of Customs Appeals
The Court of Customs Appeals consisted of a presiding judge and four associate
judges. It was always open and sessions were held in the several circuits as the Court may designate. It was established in 1909.
This court had exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review by appeal, final decisions by a board of
general appraisers respecting classification of merchandise, imposed rate of duty, charges thereunder, and other incidental questions.
Court of Commerce
The Court of Commerce consisted of five judges from time to time designated and assigned thereto, for a period of five years, by the Chief Justice of the United States, from
among circuit judges. It had exclusive jurisdiction in:
- First. All cases for the enforcement, otherwise than by adjudication and collection, of a forfeiture or penalty or by infliction of criminal punishment, or any order of the Interstate Commerce Commission other than for the payment of money.
- Second. Cases brought to enjoin, set aside, annul, or suspend in whole or in part any order of the Inter-state Commerce Commission.
- Third. Such cases as by section three of the Act entitled “An Act to further regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the States” approved February 19, 1903, were authorized to be maintained in a circuit court of the United States.
- Fourth. All such mandamus proceedings as under the provisions of section twenty or section 23 of the Act entitled “An Act to regulate commerce” approved February 4th, 1887, as amended, were authorized to be maintained in a circuit court of the United States. It was established in 1910.
State Courts
Generally, in each of the States, there was a Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Appeals, of Errors, or Supreme Judicial Court, having both original and appelate jurisdiction, the
judges of which sit at stated times in the various county seats at nisi prius, and at the State capital in bank. These courts had usually power to issue remedial writs, such as error, supersedeas, certiorari, habeas corpus; and particularly the higher writs, like the English
prerogative writs, such as quo warranto, mandamus, prohibition, and ne exeat regno (republica).
Frequently, they were the only courts exercising equity powers, or having jurisdiction of appeals from courts of probate, of awards of land damages, and of divorce or matrimonial
causes. In some States the jurisdiction of the supreme courts was appellate only; in others, an appellate court above the supreme had been established, called the Court of Appeals, or Court of Errors, and in Tennessee there was an inferior appellate Court of Chancery Appeals.
Court of Common Pleas, County Court, Circuit Court for the County or Superior Court
There was generally a court called the Court of Common Pleas, County Court, Circuit Court for the County, or Superior Court, having large original jurisdiction, and some appellate jurisdiction
from minor courts or tribunals. Usually this court had also sittings in bank. In some States there were Courts of Chancery or Equity, exercising general equity powers and distinct from the courts of common law.
Courts of Probate, Ordinary, Orphans’ or Surrogate’s and Register’s courts
There were usually district courts exercising powers over the probate of wills, matters testamentary, guardianship, and occasionally trusts; called Courts of Probate, Ordinary, Orphans’ or Surrogate’s, and Register’s courts.
Court of Oyer and Terminer
Sometimes there was a State court of criminal jurisdiction or a criminal branch of a court of general jurisdiction, termed the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
City Courts and others
There were generally many minor courts, of inferior, limited, local, or special jurisdiction, both civil and criminal, termed City Courts, Municipal Courts, Police Courts, District Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts, Courts of Hustings, Courts of Sessions, Parish Courts, Courts of Land Registration, Court of Claims, etc.
Territorial Courts
The Territorial Courts were created under the authority of the United States government; and usually consisted of a Supreme Court, with a chief and two associate justices; a District Court, of
which one of the Supreme Court justices was as judge, both these courts having equity as well as common-law jurisdiction; probate courts, and justice of the peace courts. There was an appeal from the Territorial Courts to the Supreme Court of the United States in cases where, in the early XX century, 81,000, or, in Washington, $2,000, was involved.
Supreme Court for the District of Columbia
There was a Supreme Court for the District of Columbia, having the jurisdiction of the Circuit Courts of the United States; and any one of its justices, holding a special term, had the power and jurisdiction of the District Courts of the United States.
This court had also jurisdiction of cases arising under the copyright and patent laws,
bankruptcy, and other special cases. There was an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, where $1,000 (in the XIX century) was involved.
(Main source: read A concise law dictionary of words, phrases and maxims.)
For a detailed description of historical courts, see Holdsworth’s “History of English Law” vol. I.
Other Lists of Courts
- List of English Courts in this Encyclopedia
- List of Irish Courts in this Encyclopedia
- List of Scotch Courts in this Encyclopedia
- List of European Courts in the European Encyclopedia
- List of American Courts
- List of Asian Courts in the Asia Encyclopedia
- List of Australian Courts in the Australian Encyclopedia
- List of Canadian Courts in the Canada Encyclopedia
- List of African Courts in the Africa Encyclopedia
- List of Latin American Courts (in Spanish)
See Also
Juvenile Court
Examination Before Trial
Court Register
Court Of Last Resort
Court Of Appeal
Clerk Of The Court
Alias Summons
Minute Books
Legal Cap
Calendar Call
Motion To Dismiss
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