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A Dual Court Systeml How to determine acourt’s jurisdictionl How to explain thestructure of thefederal court systeml How to explain therole of the UnitedStates Supreme Courtl How to explain thestructure of the statecourt systeml How to describe thedifference between ajuvenile who is unrulyand one who isdelinquentLearning the structure ofthe court systems in theUnited States will helpyou understand how thelegal system works.l jurisdictionl diversity of citizenshipl original jurisdictionl appellate courtsl intermediate courtsl appellate jurisdictionl limited jurisdictionl general jurisdictionl delinquent childl unruly childl neglected or abusedchildThe Federal Court SystemThe United States system of justice has two major parts—the federalsystem and state court systems. Federal courts hear cases involvingfederal matters and matters involving diversity of citizenship. Statecourts have their own rules.Jurisdiction is the power and authority given to a court to hear acase and to make a judgment. Federal courts have jurisdiction overseveral types of cases. These cases include the following:l Actions in which the United States or one state is a party, exceptthose actions between a state and its citizensl Cases that raise a federal question, such as interpreting theConstitutionl Diversity of citizenship cases, which involve citizens of differentstates and in which the amount of money in dispute exceeds$75,000l Admiralty cases, or those pertaining to the seal Patent and copyright casesl Bankruptcy casesExample 1. Local police of a large city caught a woman breakinginto a federal government building. The police arrested thewoman, but because the crime was committed against federalproperty, she was turned over to federal authorities for trial inthe federal district court.Federal courts are arranged in three steps: U.S. district courtslocated throughout the United States, U.S. courts of appeals, and theSupreme Court of the United States.District CourtsDistrict courts have original jurisdiction over most federal courtcases, meaning they try a case the first time it is heard. Most federalcases begin in one of the U.S. district courts, and both civil and criminalcases are heard in these courts.Courts of AppealsThe U.S. courts of appeals, also called appellate courts , areintermediate courts , which are courts between lower courts and the28 Unit 1: Knowing About the Law

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