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List of courts of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The courts of the United States are closely linked hierarchical systems of courts at the federal and state levels. The federal courts form the judicial branch of the U.S. government and operate under the authority of the United States Constitution and federal law. The state and territorial courts of the individual U.S. states and territories operate under the authority of the state and territorial constitutions and state and territorial law.

Federal statutes that refer to the "courts of the United States" are referring only to the courts of the federal government, and not the courts of the individual states and counties. Because of the federalist underpinnings of the division between sovereign federal and state governments, the various state court systems are free to operate in ways that vary widely from those of the federal government, and from one another. In practice, however, every state has adopted a division of its judiciary into at least two levels, and almost every state has three levels, with trial courts hearing cases which may be reviewed by appellate courts, and finally by a state supreme court. A few states have two separate supreme courts, with one having authority over civil matters and the other reviewing criminal cases. 47 states and the federal government allow at least one appeal of right from a final judgment on the merits, meaning that the court receiving the appeal must decide the appeal after it is briefed and argued properly. Three states do not provide a right to a first appeal. Rather, they give litigants only a right to petition for the right to have an appeal heard.

State courts often have diverse names and structures, as illustrated below. State courts hear about 98% of litigation; most states have courts of special jurisdiction, which typically handle minor disputes such as traffic citations, and courts of general jurisdiction responsible for more serious disputes.[1]

The U.S. federal court system hears cases involving litigants from two or more states, violations of federal laws, treaties, and the Constitution, admiralty, bankruptcy, and related issues.[2] In practice, about 80% of the cases are civil and 20% criminal.[1] The civil cases often involve civil rights, patents, and Social Security while the criminal cases involve tax fraud, robbery, counterfeiting, and drug crimes.[1] The trial courts are U.S. district courts, followed by United States courts of appeals and then the Supreme Court of the United States. The judicial system, whether state or federal, begins with a court of first instance, whose work may be reviewed by an appellate court, and then ends at the court of last resort, which may review the work of the lower courts.[3]

Institutions which may be considered courts of the United States are listed below.

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United States Federal Courts

Main article: United States Federal Courts
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The geographical boundary of the 12 United States Courts of Appeals

Geographic based jurisdiction

Specific subject-matter jurisdiction

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Headquarters of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Madison Place in Washington, D.C.
See also: Article I and Article III tribunals

Former United States Courts

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Courts by state of the United States

Alabama

Main article: Courts of Alabama
State courts of Alabama

Federal courts located in Alabama

(All United States District Courts in Alabama may be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia)

Former federal courts of Alabama

Alaska

Main article: Courts of Alaska
State courts of Alaska

Federal courts located in Alaska

Arizona

Main article: Courts of Arizona
State courts of Arizona

Federal courts located in Arizona

Arkansas

Main article: Courts of Arkansas
State courts of Arkansas

Federal courts located in Arkansas

Former federal courts of Arkansas

California

Main article: Courts of California
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Headquarters of the Supreme Court of California, in San Francisco.
State courts of record of California
State quasi-administrative courts of California

Federal courts located in California

Former federal courts of California

Colorado

Main article: Courts of Colorado
State courts of Colorado

Federal courts located in Colorado

Connecticut

Main article: Courts of Connecticut
State courts of Connecticut

Federal court located in Connecticut:

Delaware

Main article: Courts of Delaware
State courts of Delaware

Federal courts located in Delaware

Florida

Main article: Courts of Florida
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Headquarters of the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee.
State courts of Florida

Federal courts located in Florida

Former federal courts of Florida

Georgia

Main article: Courts of Georgia (U.S. state)
State courts of Georgia

Federal courts located in Georgia

Former federal courts of Georgia

Hawaii

Main article: Courts of Hawaii
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Aliʻiōlani Hale, in Honolulu, the building where the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court meets
State courts of Hawaii

Federal courts located in Hawaii

Idaho

Main article: Courts of Idaho
State courts of Idaho

Federal courts located in Idaho

Illinois

Main article: Courts of Illinois
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Illinois Supreme Court building, in Springfield, Illinois
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The Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, headquarters of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

State courts of Illinois

Main article: Judiciary of Illinois
Further information: State court (United States)

Federal courts located in Illinois

Further information: Federal judiciary of the United States

Former federal courts of Illinois

Indiana

Main article: Courts of Indiana
State courts of Indiana
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The E. Ross Adair Federal Building, seat of the Fort Wayne division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Federal courts located in Indiana

Former federal courts of Indiana

Iowa

Main article: Courts of Iowa
State courts of Iowa

Federal courts located in Iowa

Former federal courts of Iowa

Kansas

Main article: Courts of Kansas
State courts of Kansas

Federal courts located in Kansas

Kentucky

Main article: Courts of Kentucky
Kentucky Court of Justice

Under an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution passed by the state's voters in 1975,[129] judicial power in Kentucky is "vested exclusively in one Court of Justice", divided into the following:[130]

Federal courts located in this state
Former federal courts of Kentucky

Louisiana

Main article: Courts of Louisiana
State courts of Louisiana
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Louisiana judicial districts map
Federal courts located in Louisiana
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The John Minor Wisdom U.S. Courthouse, home of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans
Former federal courts of Louisiana

Maine

Main article: Courts of Maine
State courts of Maine

Federal courts located in Maine

Maryland

Main article: Courts of Maryland
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Maryland judicial circuit map
State courts of Maryland

Federal courts located in Maryland

Former federal courts of Maryland

Massachusetts

Main article: Courts of Massachusetts
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John Adams Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, home to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Massachusetts Appeals Court
State courts of Massachusetts
Judicial courts
Administrative courts

Federal courts located in Massachusetts

Michigan

Main article: Courts of Michigan
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Judicial circuits map
State courts of Michigan

Federal courts located in Michigan

Former federal courts of Michigan

Minnesota

Main article: Courts of Minnesota
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Supreme Court Chamber of the Minnesota Supreme Court in the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul.
State courts of Minnesota

Federal courts located in Minnesota

Mississippi

Main article: Courts of Mississippi
State courts of Mississippi

Federal courts located in Mississippi

Former federal courts of Mississippi

Missouri

Main article: Courts of Missouri
State courts of Missouri
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Missouri State Supreme Court building across from state capitol in Jefferson City.

Federal courts located in Missouri

Former federal courts of Missouri

Montana

Main article: Courts of Montana
State courts of Montana

Federal courts located in Montana

Nebraska

Main article: Courts of Nebraska
State courts of Nebraska

Federal courts located in Nebraska

Nevada

Main article: Courts of Nevada
State courts of Nevada
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The headquarters of the Supreme Court of Nevada in Carson City.

Federal courts located in Nevada

New Hampshire

Main article: Courts of New Hampshire
State courts of New Hampshire

Federal courts located in New Hampshire

New Jersey

Main article: Courts of New Jersey
State courts of New Jersey
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Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, Trenton, New Jersey: The seat of the New Jersey Supreme Court and the central administrative offices of all statewide courts in New Jersey.

Federal courts located in New Jersey

Former federal courts of New Jersey

New Mexico

Main article: Courts of New Mexico
State courts of New Mexico

Federal courts located in New Mexico

New York

Main article: Courts of New York
State courts of New York
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The 1842 courthouse of the New York Court of Appeals in Albany

Federal courts located in New York

Former federal courts of New York

North Carolina

Main article: Courts of North Carolina
State courts of North Carolina

Federal courts located in North Carolina

Former federal courts of North Carolina

North Dakota

Main article: Courts of North Dakota
State courts of North Dakota

Federal courts located in North Dakota

Ohio

Main article: Courts of Ohio
State courts of Ohio
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The Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus, headquarters of the Supreme Court of Ohio

Federal courts located in this state

Former federal courts of Ohio

Oklahoma

Main article: Courts of Oklahoma
State courts of Oklahoma

Federal courts located in Oklahoma

Oregon

Main article: Courts of Oregon
State courts of Oregon
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Courtroom of the Oregon Supreme Court.

Federal courts located in Oregon

Pennsylvania

Main article: Courts of Pennsylvania
State courts of Pennsylvania

Former colonial and state courts of Pennsylvania

Federal courts located in Pennsylvania

Former federal courts located in Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Main article: Courts of Rhode Island
State courts of Rhode Island

Federal courts located in Rhode Island

South Carolina

Main article: Courts of South Carolina
State courts of South Carolina

Federal courts located in South Carolina

South Dakota

Main article: Courts of South Dakota

State courts of South Dakota

Federal courts located in South Dakota

Tennessee

Main article: Courts of Tennessee
State courts of Tennessee

Federal courts located in Tennessee

Former federal courts of Tennessee

Texas

Main article: Courts of Texas
State courts of Texas

Federal courts located in Texas

Former federal courts of Texas

Utah

Main article: Courts of Utah
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The Utah Supreme Court meets in the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse.
State courts of Utah

Federal courts located in Utah

Vermont

Main article: Courts of Vermont
State courts of Vermont

Federal courts located in Vermont

Virginia

Main article: Courts of Virginia
State courts of Virginia

Federal courts located in Virginia

Former federal courts of Virginia

Washington

Main article: Courts of Washington (state)

State courts of Washington

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The headquarters of the Washington Supreme Court in Olympia.

Federal courts located in Washington

See also: List of United States federal courthouses in Washington (state)

Former federal courts of Washington

West Virginia

Main article: Courts of West Virginia
State courts of West Virginia

Federal courts located in West Virginia

Former federal courts of West Virginia

Wisconsin

Main article: Courts of Wisconsin
State courts of Wisconsin

Federal courts located in Wisconsin

Former federal courts of Wisconsin

Wyoming

Main article: Courts of Wyoming
State courts of Wyoming

Federal courts located in Wyoming

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Courts in the District of Columbia

Federal courts located in the District of Columbia

Former federal courts in the District of Columbia

Courts of the Territories of the United States

See also: United States territorial court

American Samoa

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High Court of American Samoa courthouse

Guam

United States territorial court

Northern Mariana Islands

United States territorial court

Panama Canal Zone

Puerto Rico

  • Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico)[376]
    • Circuit Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico (Tribunal de Apelaciones)[377]
    • * Courts of First Instance of Puerto Rico (Tribunal de Primera Instancia; 13 divisions)[378]

Federal courts located in Puerto Rico:

United States Virgin Islands

United States territorial court

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Extraterritorial courts of the United States

U.S. judicial system in popular culture

Due to its involvement in the resolution of crimes and conflicts, which are an intricate part of drama, the U.S. judicial system is often portrayed in American literature and films.

Several Hollywood films such as A Few Good Men (1992) and Runaway Jury (2003) are set around its courts.

References

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External links

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