Abstract The paper discusses how although the Constitution was brief and vague in its description of the judicial branch, the role of the federal courts has become increasingly defined throughout the years. The paper relates that the federal judiciary is comprised of three layers. The paper describes the district courts, the appellate layer and finally the U.S. Supreme Court. The paper explains that these three levels of the courts represent the division and separation of powers that is a hallmark of the US government. The paper emphasizes that the Supreme Court's role as the final word at the top of the federal court system is a serious one and appointments and decisions are made with the posterity of the nation in mind.
From the Paper "The federal judiciary is comprised of three layers. At the bottom layer are the courts that are known as the "workhorses" of the federal judiciary. There are currently 94 of these district courts that have original jurisdiction in many kinds of cases. The district courts may hear civil and criminal cases, but "roughly 80 percent of them are civil cases" (Greenberg & Page 425). Such civil cases may be antitrust cases or disputes between citizens or states. The criminal cases "include violations of federal criminal laws, such as bank robbery, interstate drug trafficking, and kidnapping"."
