District Court
The District Court is the lowest federal court. It consists of a judge, a defendant, a prosecuting attorney, and a jury. The District Courts have general jurisdiction meaning they hear a wide array of issues. Cases that are tried in federal courts are crimes committed on a ship at sea, state versus state lawsuits, breaking a law created by congress, violating the U.S. Constitution, violating a U.S. treaty, and lawsuits from citizens of different states. There are 94 District Courts in the U.S. which are trial courts. To move to the next level of courts the trial must be appealed because of a faulty trial.