notes 3/20

• Inferior courts were created to function beneath the Supreme Court.
• District courts; The federal trial courts. 677 judges. Handle more than 350000 cases per year. 12 judicial districts. 
• 2 little-known multi-judge panels. FISA(foreign intelligent surveillance court) 7 year terms. Meet in secret entitled to secret search. 
• Alien Terrorist Removal Court, 5 year terms.
• The district courts do not hear cases within original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. 
• District courts hear both criminal and civil cases. 
• Criminal, always persecutor. Civil, defendant or plaintiff. 
• Most decisions in the federal district courts are final, they start and end there. 
• Few cases go to higher, only if losing parties appeal. 
• Courts of Appeal, has 6-28 judges. 1 Supreme Court Justice assigned to each. 3-judge panels. 
• A federal trial court only tried civil cases that arise out of the nation's customs and other trade related laws. 
• 9 judges, chief justice appointed by the President and Senate. 
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