Structure of the Federal Court System

The federal court system in the United States, applicable to criminal cases arising from North Carolina, has three primary levels. The first is district or trial court level. The second is the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which reviews decisions made by North Carolina federal district courts. The third is the United States Supreme Court. It reviews decisions made by the Fourth Circuit. The District Courts: In North Carolina, there are three federal districts, the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts. The three districts operate largely independently from one another. They have their own judges, rules, practices, […]