United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

3rd_Circuit_map

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:

The court is based at the James A. Byrne United States Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

History[edit | edit source]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit was established on June 16, 1891, by the Evarts Act. The court was created to relieve the caseload of the Supreme Court by handling appeals from the federal district courts.

Jurisdiction[edit | edit source]

The Third Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over cases heard in the district courts within its circuit. This includes both civil and criminal cases. The court also has the authority to review decisions of federal administrative agencies.

Composition[edit | edit source]

The court is composed of 14 active judges and is currently presided over by Chief Judge Michael A. Chagares. The circuit justice for the Third Circuit is Samuel Alito.

Notable Cases[edit | edit source]

The Third Circuit has heard several notable cases, including:

United States v. Grape - A case involving the interpretation of federal sentencing guidelines.
In re: Kensington International Ltd. - A case concerning bankruptcy proceedings and the jurisdiction of bankruptcy courts.