TOPIC #12 — THE JUDICIAL BRANCH: STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURE

Q1.     Federal courts are now acknowledged to have the power of judicial review. How do courts exercise this power? In particular, why are laws sometimes declared unconstitutional only long after they have been passed and implemented?

Q2.     What is the structure of the U.S. court system?

Q3.     Over what cases do federal (as opposed to state courts) courts have jurisdiction? Over what cases does the U.S. Supreme Court have jurisdiction? How does the Supreme Court exercise its appellate jurisdiction? How does it make decisions?

Judicial review as "byproduct" of deciding cases

U.S. dual court system (resulting from the Federal Compromise)

                     Federal                                                              State

          U.S. Supreme Court <==============        State supreme court

          (one 9-member court) (fed. questions)

                        ||                                                                          ||

                        ∨                                                                         ∨

          U.S. Courts of Appeal 

          (13 multi-member courts,)                                  State appeals court(s)

          approx. 200 judges total)

                         ||                                                                          ||

                         ∨                                                                         ∨

          U.S. District Courts                                             Local trial courts

          (100 courts, several judges                                (district and superior

          in each sitting separately,                                             courts)

          approx. 1000 judges total)

Jurisdiction of federal courts: federal questions; diversity

          original vs. appellate jurisdiction

Supreme Court decision making

          appeal; application for writ of certiorari (4/9)

          written briefs, amicus curiae briefs, oral argument, U.S. Solicitor General

          conference, affirm or reverse by simple majority rule

          court/concurring/dissenting (and per curiam) opinions