District Court

Almost every civil or criminal case heard in the federal courts starts at the district court level. Federal district courts are the workhorses of the federal judiciary system. District court judges perform a number of functions, including reviewing petitions, listening to motions, holding trials, issuing injunctions, and keeping the judicial process moving.

There are 94 federal judicial districts being served by the federal district courts. There is at least one judicial district in each state. California, New York, and Texas, the three states with the largest populations, have four judicial districts each. The District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands each make up a judicial district, and have one district court apiece.

There are two special district courts that have nationwide jurisdiction over specific types of cases. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs issues. The United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over most claims for money damages against the United States, disputes over federal contracts, and unlawful takings of private property by the federal government, and a variety of other claims against the United States.

District courts are trial courts, meaning that district court judges have the authority to try cases. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases. The President appoints district court judges to life terms, as he does with the judges in the appellate courts and the justices on the Supreme Court.

Unlike district courts, the Supreme Court and the circuit courts are appellate courts, meaning that they have the authority to hear appeals of decisions by trial court judges. District court judges can conduct jury trials in criminal or civil proceedings. District court judges sometimes decide cases without a jury, in a procedure known as a bench trial.

The district court level is for federal judges to decide questions of law. Just about every case filed in a federal court regards questions of law and questions of fact. Criminal trials cover issues regarding such questions as the admissibility of certain kinds of evidence, the scope of a search warrant, or the legality of an arrest. These issues involve questions of law, which a trial judge can decide. There are also questions of fact, relating to whether the defendant actually committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Questions of fact can be decided by a jury, or by the judge in a bench trial.

The overwhelming majority of cases presented to federal courts at the district court level are decided before the case ever goes to trial. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the federal district courts handled over 250,000 civil cases in fiscal year 2003. Only 4,206 cases, or 1.7 percent, were decided through the trial process. Only 2,674 cases went to a jury, with 1,532 cases heard as bench trials. About 40% of the cases that went to a jury trial involved alleged civil rights violations.

Because so many cases headed for district court are decided before they get to trial, you have to be prepared as early as possible. An experienced attorney can help you put your case together quickly and effectively. Contact an attorney today if you have a case headed for district court, before it's too late.

If you would like to speak to a qualified and experienced attorney in your area, please contact us.