Jurisdiction

The Judiciary Branch of the United States is often neglected in the public view of government, with much more press being directed to Congress and the President of the United States.  There are, in fact, many courts that make up the judiciary branch; the Supreme Court only sees a few cases per year.

Most of the cases begin in district courts, or trial courts, where original jurisdiction occurs.  Original jurisdiction is the first time a case is heard in court; often this is used to determine the facts of a case.  Almost every case filed ends in the trial court, with 90 percent of cases ending in a court of original jurisdiction.

Very few, therefore, make it to appellate courts.  Appellate courts deal with appellate jurisdiction (surprise!) in which they are only applicable in reviewing the decisions of trial courts below them.  They do not have original jurisdiction and often hear appeals of cases from U.S. regulatory commissions, legislative courts (such as the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals), and of course, lower federal courts such as district courts.  Even fewer, about 0.1% of these cases, then make it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court handles cases from appellate courts but also those from the U.S. courts of appeals, the Court of Military Appeals, and the highest state courts.

However, unlike the Court of Appeals, it is possible for the Supreme Court to hear a case of original jurisdiction in cases between two states or when the dispute is international, relating to foreign ambassadors and diplomats.

Luckily, most disputes never even make it to court at all, as disagreements are often settled between the two parties.