U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 8: The Federal Courts
8.2 Jurisdiction and Types of Cases
Notes
Jurisdiction is a court's authority to hear a case.
- Original jurisdiction: the court hears the case first. Appellate jurisdiction: the court reviews a lower court's decision.
- The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors and cases where a state is a party (such as one state suing another), but most of its cases are appeals.
- Federal courts hear cases about the Constitution, federal laws or treaties (federal question), cases involving the U.S. government, and some cases between citizens of different states (diversity of citizenship).
- Criminal case: the government (prosecution) charges a defendant with a crime; guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Civil case: a dispute between parties, such as over a contract or injury. The plaintiff sues the defendant and usually must prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not).
Practice
Two states sue each other over rights to a river. Which court can hear this case first?
Cases between states fall under the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction.
A neighbor sues another neighbor for damage caused by a fallen tree. This is a:
Disputes between private parties over harm or money are civil cases.
In a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove guilt:
This high standard protects people accused of crimes.
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