Write In Your Own Words... District courts have original jurisdiction over cases involving federal laws (including maritime, patent, and copyright law). That is, they serve as the venues in which jury trials are executed. US courts of appeals are forums in which decisions made in district courts may be appealed or considered again. This does not mean that another trial will occur at the appellate court. Circuit courts consider any possible mistakes or misinterpretations of the law made by the district court judges. In a sense, circuit courts merely serve as checks on the performance of district court judges.
Circuit court judges generally have two options when reviewing a decision from the district courts. If they determine that some aspect of the trial was unfair or that procedures or legal precedents were incorrectly applied, the appellate court may send the case back for a retrial in the district courts. If the appellate court finds no mistakes were made by the district court judges, it may uphold the decision of the lower court.
