Question

8. Describe the U.S. Supreme court to include the following: What type of court is the United States Supreme Court, trial or appellate? How is it ranked in the federal court system? Who oversees court cases at this level?

Answer 1

The federal courts of the United States are composed of three different levels.

The first level are district courts. These are the courts that are found in each of the 94 federal judicial districts, as well as three territorial courts. The second level is the United States courts of appeals, which are the intermediate federal appellate courts. These hear all appeals of rights from the lower courts. Finally, the Supreme Court of the United States is the court of last resort. It hears appeals from lower courts under discretionary review (it can choose which cases to hear).

Answer 2

The US Supreme Court has been the country's top legal authority since 1788, responsible for interpreting and deciding issues based on federal law and the constitution. Although their decisions are largely based on formal arguments of justice, each president appoints a judge (at each vacancy) who has a more favorable interpretation of the government's political tendencies.