The Constitution of the United States provides for two separate systems of law, that of the states and that of the national government. Thus, two separate and distinct sets of courts, state and federal, exist side by side in the United States.
Federal courts hear different types of cases than the state courts.
In Alabama, state court judges are elected by the citizens for six-year terms. Federal court judges are appointed for life by the President of the United States with the approval of the Senate of the United States. With a few exceptions, federal district courts have original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases involving federal questions and are the only federal courts that normally use a jury. Bankruptcy cases and certain related proceedings may be heard in a unit of the district court known as the bankruptcy court. There is at least one federal district court in each of the states.