Understanding the US Federal Courts.docx
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Understanding the US Federal Courts.docx
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UnderstandingtheUSFederalCourts
UnderstandingtheU.S.FederalCourts
TheFederalJudicialProcessinBrief:
Thissectiondescribesthreekeyfeaturesofthefederaljudicialsystemandgivesanoverviewoftheprocessincriminalcases,civilcases,andbankruptcyproceedings.Alsoincludedarebriefdescriptionsofjuryserviceandselectionproceduresandtheappealsprocess.
AnAdversarialSystem:
ThelitigationprocessinUnitedStatescourtsisreferredtoasan"adversarial"systembecauseitreliesonthelitigantstopresenttheirdisputebeforeaneutralfact-finder.AccordingtoAmericanlegaltradition,inheritedfromtheEnglishcommonlaw,theclashofadversariesbeforethecourtismostlikelytoallowthejuryorjudgetodeterminethetruthandresolvethedisputeathand.Insomeotherlegalsystems,judgesorothercourtofficialsinvestigateandassistthepartiestofindrelevantevidenceorobtaintestimonyfromwitnesses.IntheUnitedStates,thelitigantsandtheirattorneysaccomplishtheworkofcollectingevidenceandpreparingtopresentittothecourt,normallywithoutassistancefromthecourt.
FeesandCostsofLitigation:
AnothercharacteristicoftheAmericanjudicialsystemisthatlitigantstypicallypaytheirowncourtcostsandattorneysfeeswhethertheywinorlose.ThefederalcourtschargefeesthataremostlysetbyCongress.Forexample,itcosts$150tofileacivilcase.Othercostsoflitigation,suchasattorneysandexpertsfees,aremoresubstantial.Incriminalcasesthegovernmentpaysthecostsofinvestigationandprosecution.Thegovernmentalsoprovidesalawyerwithoutcostforanycriminaldefendantwhoisunabletoaffordone.Incivilcases,plaintiffswhocannotaffordtopaycourtfeesmayseekpermissionfromthecourttoproceedwithoutpayingthosefees.
ProceduralRulesforConductingLitigation:
Therearefederalrulesofevidence,andrulesofcivil,criminal,bankruptcyandappellateprocedurethatmustbefollowedinthefederalcourts.Theyaredesignedtopromotesimplicity,fairness,thejustdeterminationoflitigation,andtheeliminationofunjustifiableexpenseanddelay.Therulesaredraftedbycommitteesofjudges,lawyers,andprofessorsappointedbytheChiefJustice.TheyarepublishedwidelybytheAdministrativeOfficeforpubliccomment,approvedbytheJudicialConferenceoftheUnitedStates,andpromulgatedbytheSupremeCourt.TherulesbecomelawunlesstheCongressvotestorejectormodifythem.
CivilCases:
Afederalcivilcaseinvolvesalegaldisputebetweentwoormoreparties.Tobeginacivillawsuitinfederalcourt,theplaintifffilesacomplaintwiththecourtand"serves"acopyofthecomplaintonthedefendant.Thecomplaintdescribestheplaintiff'sinjury,explainshowthedefendantcausedtheinjury,andasksthecourttoorderrelief.Aplaintiffmayseekmoneytocompensatefortheinjury,ormayaskthecourttoorderthedefendanttostoptheconductthatiscausingtheharm.Thecourtmayalsoorderothertypesofrelief,suchasadeclarationofthelegalrightsoftheplaintiffinaparticularsituation.
Toprepareacasefortrial,thelitigantsmayconduct"discovery."Indiscovery,thelitigantsmustprovideinformationtoeachotheraboutthecase,suchastheidentityofwitnessesandcopiesofanydocumentsrelatedtothecase.Thepurposeofdiscoveryistopreparefortrialbyrequiringthelitigantstoassembletheirevidenceandpreparetocallwitnesses.Eachsidealsomayfilerequests,or"motions,"withthecourtseekingrulingsonthediscoveryofevidence,orontheprocedurestobefollowedattrial.
Onecommonmethodofdiscoveryisthedeposition.Inadeposition,awitnessisrequiredtoanswerunderoathquestionsaboutthecaseaskedbythelawyersinthepresenceofacourtreporter.Thecourtreporterisapersonspeciallytrainedtorecordalltestimonyandproduceaword-for-wordaccountcalledatranscript.
Toavoidtheexpenseanddelayofhavingatrial,judgesencouragethelitigantstotrytoreachanagreementresolvingtheirdispute.Inparticular,thecourtsencouragetheuseofmediation,arbitration,andotherformsofalternativedisputeresolution,or"ADR,"designedtoproduceanearlyresolutionofadisputewithouttheneedfortrialorothercourtproceedings.Asaresult,litigantsoftendecidetoresolveacivillawsuitwithanagreementknownasa"settlement."
Ifacaseisnotsettled,thecourtwillscheduleatrial.Inawidevarietyofcivilcases,eithersideisentitledundertheConstitutiontorequestajurytrial.Ifthepartieswaivetheirrighttoajury,thenthecasewillbeheardbyajudgewithoutajury.
Atatrial,witnessestestifyunderthesupervisionofajudge.Byapplyingrulesofevidence,thejudgedetermineswhichinformationmaybepresentedinthecourtroom.Toensurethatwitnessesspea
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