The number of the Judicial Branch of the American Government

The American Government

The Judicial Branch of Government

1. The United States Supreme Court 9
2. The United States Appellate Court 13
3. The United States Trial Courts 94
4. Total 116
   The United States Supreme Court

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. -Article III, Section 1, The Constitution of the United States.

In the federal court system the Supreme Court has final appellate jurisdiction over all courts in the United States.

The United States Supreme Court has nine (9) sitting Judges nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

The United States Appellate Court

Notice that, according to the Constitution, Congress creates courts.

By implication, Congress also has the power to reorganize and even dismantle the court system. This clause provides one of many examples of the checks and balances in the Constitution, but it also reveals the Founders' intent to grant greater powers to the legislative branch than to the judicial.

The fact that most of the basic court structure has changed little since it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 is an indication that Congress does not readily use this power. The relative independence of the court system, as well as the evolutionary power of the judicial branch, has been generally respected by members of subsequent Congresses.

The federal court system is divided into 12 geographic circuits. For example, Circuit One includes the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Circuit Nine includes seven states in the far western part of the country. Originally, each state in each circuit was to have one district court, where all federal cases from the state originated.

There are twelve (12) regional circuit Court of Appeals and one (1) US court of appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The United States Trial Courts

Over time, as the population grew, additional district courts were added. Today, a total of 94 district courts exist; they are staffed by more than 600 judges. Some circuits have more than others, based on population, but each circuit still has only one court of appeals. Cases not settled in the courts of appeal may be appealed further, but only to the Supreme Court.