United States district court

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United States District Court Reciprocity Map

U.S. Court House, Los Angeles

United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district courts, which are courts of law, equity, and admiralty. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The courts operate under the jurisdiction granted to them by Article III of the United States Constitution and the Judiciary Act of 1789.

Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the United States district courts is spelled out by federal law; they are given original jurisdiction over several types of cases, including but not limited to:

• Cases under the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties
• Cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls
• Cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction
• Controversies to which the United States is a party
• Controversies between two or more states, between citizens of different states, between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects

In addition to their original jurisdiction, district courts also have appellate jurisdiction over certain cases.

Organization

Each district includes a United States bankruptcy court as a separate unit of the district court. Four territories of the United States have United States district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases: the United States Territory of Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Judges of the district courts are appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. They serve for life, under the good behavior clause of the Constitution. Each district court has at least one courthouse, and many districts have more than one. The number of judges in each district varies depending on the workload.

Procedure

The procedure in the United States district courts is governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for civil cases and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for criminal cases. These rules are adopted by the United States Supreme Court under the Rules Enabling Act.

Notable Cases

Over the years, United States district courts have presided over some of the most significant and controversial cases in American history, including cases on civil rights, terrorism, patent disputes, and antitrust matters.

Appeals

Decisions of the district courts can be appealed to the United States courts of appeals corresponding to the circuit in which the district is located. There are 12 regional circuits, and each has a court of appeals.

See Also

• United States Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court
• Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
• Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure