Why Do Courts Matter?

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 Why Do Courts Matter?

State (local) and federal (national) courts are the functional dual court systems of The

United State of America. State courts has jurisdiction in relation to disputes that have some

connection with U.S state. Criminal and civil cases are the vast majority handle by State courts.

The federal court system is limited in terms of jurisdiction. Cases authorized by federal statutes

or the Constitution of the United State are handled by Federal courts. (The Judicial Learning

Center, 2021)

Why do courts matter?

The courts' role in assisting citizens in amicably resolving disputes is one reason why

courts are important to our society. Many are aware that divorce proceedings can be drawn out

and that parties frequently only desire what is in their best interests. The home, money, kids, and

other things, for instance, feel like they should be theirs. The court's job is to either facilitate a

rational legal settlement between the parties or decide how to divide the assets equally between

them. The difficult element in this case is deciding which parent is more suitable to have custody

of the children. (Introduction to the Federal Court System, 2021)

Checking and balancing other branches of the government is another reason why court

matter. The legislative branch provides suggestions, but the president appoints the justices of the

Supreme Court as provided by the Constitution. By deeming laws invalid, the Judicial Branch

restrains the powers of the legislative and executive departments. In the most recent, we have

witnessed presidential impeachment trial being presided over by Supreme Court. (Introduction to

the Federal Court System, 2021)

History
 Federal court system was established separately from the individual state courts by the

Judiciary Act of 1789. This was among the first acts of the First Congress. On September 24,

1789, it was signed into law by President George Washington. (History.com Editors, 2018)

Types/Level of courts

Each judicial system has three levels. They include the following:

 Trial court- cases begin and every side tables their evidences on what happened.

 Appellate court- Attorney argues basing on policy before judges. No presentation of

evidence.

 Supreme court- Deals with cases involving foreign government, Native American Laws

and bankruptcy.

Types of cases heard

According to (The Judicial Learning Center, 2021), Cases in Federal and State court include the

following cases:

Federal court

 Constitution or matter of federal law

 Parties from different states

 Patent, copyright, bankruptcy, or maritime law

State courts

 Criminal cases

 Disputes in real estates

  Personal injury cases

 Estate cases

 Cases involving families-divorce and custody

What the country would be like without courts?

There would be very little that the American people could do to stop legislative

representatives from passing whatever laws pleased their constituents. The president's power to

issue executive orders to establish laws and regulations is another drawback to the absence of

courts. Imagine the state of the nation if our present president started signing executive orders

knowing that no court would rule them to be unlawful. A flawed judicial system would lead to

unequal treatment of people. It makes one wonder how our nation would operate without police

personnel and a justice system. Would the rule that someone is innocent until proven guilty still

apply? Living in this America would be challenging—almost impossible. Would there still be a

need for prisons without courts? (The Judicial Learning Center, 2021)
 References
History.com Editors. (2018, August 21). Judicial Branch. HISTORY. Retrieved September 25,
2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/judicial-branch
Introduction To The Federal Court System. (2021, March 12). USAO | Department of Justice.
Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/federal-
courts
The Judicial Learning Center. (2021, January 5). What Is the Difference Between State and
Federal Courts? | The Judicial Learning Center. The Judicial Learning Center | an
Online Companion to the Judicial Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Retrieved
September 25, 2022, from https://judiciallearningcenter.org/state-courts-vs-federal-
courts/