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Judiciary System - Coggle Diagram
Judiciary System
United States Supreme Court
Ensures the American people get equal justice under the law and functions as the guardian and interpreter of the Constitution
Appellate
9 judges- No true qualifications needed- presidential nominations
Washington, DC
Court of Appeals
Decides whether or not the law was applied correctly in trial court
Appellate
3 judges- State residence for one year, district resident for one year, be member of state bar and be under 75 years old- presidential nomination
Philadelphia, PA
US District Courts
Review pensions, hear motions, hold trials, issue junctions, and keeps wheels of justice spinning
Appellate
670 in total- Bachelors degree with a J.D. and a few year of experience- Nominated by president
Differs for each district
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Highest court in Pennsylvania, chooses which cases to take besides for mandatory death penalty appeals
Appellate
7 justices- no specific qualifications needed- partisan election
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Handles original civil actions brought by and against the Commonwealth and appeals from state agency decisions
Appellate (civil only)
9 judges- Must be 21 years old, resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and resident of district for at least one year- partisan election
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania Superior Court
Hears appeals in criminal and most civil cases from Court of common pleas and on matters involving families and children
Appellate
15 judges- State resident for one year, district resident for one year, state bar member and under 75 years old- partisan election
Harrisburg
Chester County Court of Common Pleas
General jurisdiction trial court
Original
13 full time and 1 Senior judge- State resident for one year and district resident for one year, under age of 75, be member of state bar
West Chester, PA
Magisterial District Courts
First level of judicial authority; handles traffic cases, minor civil and criminal cases involving up tp $12,000
Original
1-93 per district- Must be 21 or older, resident of Pennsylvania, resident of district for one or more years- Competitive elections
15-1-01: Market Street, West Chester, 15-1-02: Paoli Pike, West Chester, 15-1-04: West Market Street, West Chester