Circuit Courts

[bipenett]

Hello, everybody!

Could anybody please explain me what´s the fuction of the federal "circuit courts" mentioned in the Judiciary Act of 1789?

I´ve seen that this Act established a three-part judiciary—made up of district courts, circuit courts, and the Supreme Court, but I have no idea what´s this "cirtuit courts" for.

 

[KatDini]

The judges used to literally ride circuits to different courthouses to render judgements.

That's all the homework help I'm going to give you; that data is freely available from search engines (and I've got my own school work to do).

 

[army judge]

The judges used to literally ride circuits to different courthouses to render judgements.

That's all the homework help I'm going to give you; that data is freely available from search engines (and I've got my own school work to do).

A few old codgers still ride those circuits, mate.
In fact, I'm one of them, and they call me a "visiting judge".
Alas, I don't get to ride Tigger, my trusty equine companion.

 

[bipenett]

I cant found any good information about "circuit courts" in Google. And the answers that I´ve got here didnt help me at all (KatDini talks about judges that ride circuits, while the question is about the court, only).

Anyone else could please help me with that?

 

[army judge]

Sigh, I've done your homework for:
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History of the Federal Judiciary
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Since the inauguration of the federal government, judicial circuits have provided geographical and administrative structure for the federal court system. For more than a century, the circuits functioned primarily as a way of assigning the justices and, after 1869, the circuit judges to service on the trial courts. The circuits and their courts embodied the federal character of the judicial system, connecting trial courts in districts that conformed to state borders and were governed by local legal procedures with a Supreme Court that had final jurisdiction over all of the nation's courts.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 arranged the judicial districts of the eleven existing states into three circuits, the Eastern, the Middle, and the Southern, and provided that justices of the Supreme Court would serve on the U.S. circuit courts that convened in the districts within a particular circuit. Congress regularly expanded and reorganized the system of judicial circuits during the first 70 years of the federal government. The number of circuits increased to six in 1801, seven in 1807, nine in 1837, and ten in 1855. Congress made even more frequent changes in the arrangement of states within the circuits in order to incorporate new states and to accommodate the demanding travel schedules of the Supreme Court justices. Occasionally entire states or districts within a state were omitted from the circuits because justices could not regularly attend courts far from established transportation routes. Only in 1889 was every district included within a circuit. With one exception in the mid-nineteenth century, the circuits have consisted of adjoining states.

In 1866 Congress reorganized the states into nine circuits and established the geographical outline that has remained unchanged except for the inclusion of new states within existing circuits and the division of two circuits. In 1929, Congress divided the Eighth Circuit to create a Tenth Circuit, and in 1980 an Eleventh Circuit was established to include three states formerly part of the Fifth Circuit. The act establishing the circuit courts of appeals in 1891 gave the circuits a new jurisdictional role at the same time that reliance on the existing circuit organization gave the judiciary's principal appellate courts a regional identity. (The Federal Circuit, established in 1982, is the only circuit defined exclusively by its jurisdiction.) In the twentieth century, the circuits have become increasingly important for the administrative organization of the federal courts. Representation on the Judicial Conference and its predecessor, the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, has been allocated by circuit. The circuit judicial councils established in 1939 exercise administrative authority over all the federal courts within a circuit, and the circuit judicial conferences provide a forum for judges and lawyers to discuss the administration of federal justice within a circuit.
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I don't think you fully understand the intent/nature/focus of your assignment.
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.
More
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Judiciary Act of 1789
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Simply put, the JA defined the federal judiciary, it's scope, and limited its powers, while recognizing and respecting the powers and jurisdiction of state courts.

 

[bipenett]

Sigh, I've done your homework for:
.
.
.
History of the Federal Judiciary
.
.
.
Since the inauguration of the federal government, judicial circuits have provided geographical and administrative structure for the federal court system. For more than a century, the circuits functioned primarily as a way of assigning the justices and, after 1869, the circuit judges to service on the trial courts. The circuits and their courts embodied the federal character of the judicial system, connecting trial courts in districts that conformed to state borders and were governed by local legal procedures with a Supreme Court that had final jurisdiction over all of the nation's courts.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 arranged the judicial districts of the eleven existing states into three circuits, the Eastern, the Middle, and the Southern, and provided that justices of the Supreme Court would serve on the U.S. circuit courts that convened in the districts within a particular circuit. Congress regularly expanded and reorganized the system of judicial circuits during the first 70 years of the federal government. The number of circuits increased to six in 1801, seven in 1807, nine in 1837, and ten in 1855. Congress made even more frequent changes in the arrangement of states within the circuits in order to incorporate new states and to accommodate the demanding travel schedules of the Supreme Court justices. Occasionally entire states or districts within a state were omitted from the circuits because justices could not regularly attend courts far from established transportation routes. Only in 1889 was every district included within a circuit. With one exception in the mid-nineteenth century, the circuits have consisted of adjoining states.

In 1866 Congress reorganized the states into nine circuits and established the geographical outline that has remained unchanged except for the inclusion of new states within existing circuits and the division of two circuits. In 1929, Congress divided the Eighth Circuit to create a Tenth Circuit, and in 1980 an Eleventh Circuit was established to include three states formerly part of the Fifth Circuit. The act establishing the circuit courts of appeals in 1891 gave the circuits a new jurisdictional role at the same time that reliance on the existing circuit organization gave the judiciary's principal appellate courts a regional identity. (The Federal Circuit, established in 1982, is the only circuit defined exclusively by its jurisdiction.) In the twentieth century, the circuits have become increasingly important for the administrative organization of the federal courts. Representation on the Judicial Conference and its predecessor, the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, has been allocated by circuit. The circuit judicial councils established in 1939 exercise administrative authority over all the federal courts within a circuit, and the circuit judicial conferences provide a forum for judges and lawyers to discuss the administration of federal justice within a circuit.
.
.
.
I don't think you fully understand the intent/nature/focus of your assignment.
.
.
.
More
.
.
.
Judiciary Act of 1789
.
.

Simply put, the JA defined the federal judiciary, it's scope, and limited its powers, while recognizing and respecting the powers and jurisdiction of state courts.

Didnt solve my problem, since you simply told the history about "circuit courts", but you did not explained what a "circuit court" is, nor what is this for.

An example:

When I ask "What is a fork and what is its fuction?", i would expect the following answer: It is a small object with three or four points and a handle, that you use to pick up food and eat.

But the answer to this same question that you gave was:

The fork is a primarily Western utensil, whereas in east Asia chopsticks have been more prevalent. Today, forks are increasingly available throughout east Asia. The usually metal utensil is used to lift food to the mouth or to hold ingredients in place while they are being cut by a knife. Food can be lifted either by spearing it on the tines or by holding it on top of the tines, which are often curved slightly. A fork is shaped in the form of a trident but curved at the joint of the handle to the points. The word fork comes from the Latin furca, meaning "pitchfork". Some of the earliest known uses of forks with food occurred in Ancient Egypt, where large forks were used as cooking utensils.[1] Bone forks had been found in the burial site of the Bronze AgeQijia culture (2400–1900 BC) as well as later Chinese dynasties' tombs.[2] The Ancient Greeks used the fork as a serving utensil.[3] The Greek name for fork is still used in some European languages, for instance in the Venetian, Greek, and Albanian languages... and bla bla bla bla bla bla bla

So.. please.. could any one help me answering me what is "circuit court" and what is its function? (this a really simple question)

 

[army judge]

We don't do homework. This thread is closed.