Citizen60, the lowest level in the federal court system is the District Court level. A federal charge is tried originally in whichever District Court has jurisdiction: if the perpetrator in the beating of Paul Pelosi faces federal charges, he'll face them in the US District Court, Northern District of California, which includes San Francisco. A conviction would be appealed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California's four districts, Washington state's two, and the single districts of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada. (Crikey: I'd forgotten the Ninth was that darned big in terms of geography AND population AND number of districts.) There's a good discussion of the federal system with a helpful map at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_judicial_districts
I thought it was the circuit courts that тАЬdictatedтАЭ the number of seats on the SCOTUS bench also. But the current 9 is from the 8 regions/circuits, plus Chief Justice because of the even number.
IтАЩll take 12тАУ3 more seats on the SCOTUSтАФwith a very well-reasoned argument for the expansion.
I was unclear. I meant federal courts, sometimes called circuits, of which there are 8 at present.
Exactly, Ally.
Citizen60, the lowest level in the federal court system is the District Court level. A federal charge is tried originally in whichever District Court has jurisdiction: if the perpetrator in the beating of Paul Pelosi faces federal charges, he'll face them in the US District Court, Northern District of California, which includes San Francisco. A conviction would be appealed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California's four districts, Washington state's two, and the single districts of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada. (Crikey: I'd forgotten the Ninth was that darned big in terms of geography AND population AND number of districts.) There's a good discussion of the federal system with a helpful map at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_judicial_districts
I was referring to the courts directly below SCOTUS, which are known as the Circuit Court of Appeals (13 courts covering 12 districts).
I thought it was the circuit courts that тАЬdictatedтАЭ the number of seats on the SCOTUS bench also. But the current 9 is from the 8 regions/circuits, plus Chief Justice because of the even number.
IтАЩll take 12тАУ3 more seats on the SCOTUSтАФwith a very well-reasoned argument for the expansion.
IтАЩd like to see a rotating Chief Justice as well. But thatтАЩs just me.
Good idea. Plus, or course, term limits