Jurisdiction(s)

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Jurisdiction(s)

Annotation

The Constitution outlines the jurisdiction or legal power of the federal or national courts. These powers generally deal with international issues and issues between states and citizens of different states. If a law is federal (or the United States Congress created the law) then federal courts are said to have original jurisdiction. This means that cases of individuals who violate federal laws begin in federal court. Most criminal laws are local or state laws or statues, so most criminal cases originate or start in local or state courts. Federal courts do receive many of these local and state cases on appeal.

Citations

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Article 3, Section 2, Cluase 1

Article 3, Section 2, Clause 2

Citations

Article 3, Section 2, Cluase 1

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State; --between Citizens of different States,--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

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Article 6, Section 2, Cluase 2

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.