The federal and state constitutions provide for the establishment of a system of courts to ensure that citizens are able to enforce the rights provided by the constitutions as well as to enforce the statutes passed by federal and state legislatures. Court Jurisdiction Jurisdiction refers to the types of cases a court can consider. A court s jurisdiction may be limited to certain types of cases or to certain geographic areas. A court has original jurisdiction if it is authorized to hear and decide a case when it is first presented. Appellate Jurisdiction is the power to review the decisions of another court.
Special jurisdiction is when a court has power to hear special types of cases only.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal system. Original jurisdiction for the Supreme Court occurs when a state is one of the parties suing. Appellate jurisdiction for the Supreme Court occurs when there is an appeal from the Supreme Courts of the various states. Most appeals from the district courts go to one of the 13 circuit courts of appeals. The decisions fo the circuit courts are usually final.