The District Courts are now the courts of original jurisdiction in the federal system, but this was not always true. Until the enactment of the Judicial Code of 1911, a large part of the important jurisdiction which they now have was vested in the Circuit Courts, and a large part of the work of the district judges was done in these courts. The Circuit Courts had jurisdiction over cases arising out of diversity of citizenship,1 over cases arising under the Constitution and laws of the United States (after 1875)2 and under ordinary criminal cases arising under federal laws.3 The principal jurisdiction of the District Courts was in admiralty4 and after passage of the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 5 in bankruptcy matters. They had jurisdiction, too, in minor criminal cases and cases involving penalties and forteitures.6
Each state has at least one district court, while larger states have as many as are needed depending on upon the amount of judicial work within its jurisdiction. Only one judge is usually required to hear and decide a case in a district court, but in some limited cases it is required that three judges be called together to compirse the court7. The office of Chief Judge of a district is the judge senior in commission who is under 70 years of age (65 and under at inception of term), has been in office for at least one year, and has not previously been chief judge. The Chief Judge serves a 7-year term.8
Each district court has one or more United States Magistrate judges and Bankruptcy judges, a clerk, a United States Attorney, a United States Marshal, probation officers, court reporters, and their staffs. The jurisdiction of the district courts is set forth in Title 28, chapter 85, of the United States Code9 and at 18 U.S.C. 3231. |
