Understanding the US Federal CourtsWord格式文档下载.docx

Understanding the US Federal CourtsWord格式文档下载.docx

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TheFederalJudicialProcessinBrief:

Thissectiondescribesthreekeyfeaturesofthefederaljudicialsystemandgivesanoverviewoftheprocessincriminalcases,civilcases,andbankruptcyproceedings.Alsoincludedarebriefdescriptionsofjuryserviceandselectionproceduresandtheappealsprocess.

AnAdversarialSystem:

ThelitigationprocessinUnitedStatescourtsisreferredtoasan"

adversarial"

systembecauseitreliesonthelitigantstopresenttheirdisputebeforeaneutralfact-finder.AccordingtoAmericanlegaltradition,inheritedfromtheEnglishcommonlaw,theclashofadversariesbeforethecourtismostlikelytoallowthejuryorjudgetodeterminethetruthandresolvethedisputeathand.Insomeotherlegalsystems,judgesorothercourtofficialsinvestigateandassistthepartiestofindrelevantevidenceorobtaintestimonyfromwitnesses.IntheUnitedStates,thelitigantsandtheirattorneysaccomplishtheworkofcollectingevidenceandpreparingtopresentittothecourt,normallywithoutassistancefromthecourt.

FeesandCostsofLitigation:

AnothercharacteristicoftheAmericanjudicialsystemisthatlitigantstypicallypaytheirowncourtcostsandattorneysfeeswhethertheywinorlose.ThefederalcourtschargefeesthataremostlysetbyCongress.Forexample,itcosts$150tofileacivilcase.Othercostsoflitigation,suchasattorneysandexpertsfees,aremoresubstantial.Incriminalcasesthegovernmentpaysthecostsofinvestigationandprosecution.Thegovernmentalsoprovidesalawyerwithoutcostforanycriminaldefendantwhoisunabletoaffordone.Incivilcases,plaintiffswhocannotaffordtopaycourtfeesmayseekpermissionfromthecourttoproceedwithoutpayingthosefees.

ProceduralRulesforConductingLitigation:

Therearefederalrulesofevidence,andrulesofcivil,criminal,bankruptcyandappellateprocedurethatmustbefollowedinthefederalcourts.Theyaredesignedtopromotesimplicity,fairness,thejustdeterminationoflitigation,andtheeliminationofunjustifiableexpenseanddelay.Therulesaredraftedbycommitteesofjudges,lawyers,andprofessorsappointedbytheChiefJustice.TheyarepublishedwidelybytheAdministrativeOfficeforpubliccomment,approvedbytheJudicialConferenceoftheUnitedStates,andpromulgatedbytheSupremeCourt.TherulesbecomelawunlesstheCongressvotestorejectormodifythem.

CivilCases:

Afederalcivilcaseinvolvesalegaldisputebetweentwoormoreparties.Tobeginacivillawsuitinfederalcourt,theplaintifffilesacomplaintwiththecourtand"

serves"

acopyofthecomplaintonthedefendant.Thecomplaintdescribestheplaintiff'

sinjury,explainshowthedefendantcausedtheinjury,andasksthecourttoorderrelief.Aplaintiffmayseekmoneytocompensatefortheinjury,ormayaskthecourttoorderthedefendanttostoptheconductthatiscausingtheharm.Thecourtmayalsoorderothertypesofrelief,suchasadeclarationofthelegalrightsoftheplaintiffinaparticularsituation.

Toprepareacasefortrial,thelitigantsmayconduct"

discovery."

Indiscovery,thelitigantsmustprovideinformationtoeachotheraboutthecase,suchastheidentityofwitnessesandcopiesofanydocumentsrelatedtothecase.Thepurposeofdiscoveryistopreparefortrialbyrequiringthelitigantstoassembletheirevidenceandpreparetocallwitnesses.Eachsidealsomayfilerequests,or"

motions,"

withthecourtseekingrulingsonthediscoveryofevidence,orontheprocedurestobefollowedattrial.

Onecommonmethodofdiscoveryisthedeposition.Inadeposition,awitnessisrequiredtoanswerunderoathquestionsaboutthecaseaskedbythelawyersinthepresenceofacourtreporter.Thecourtreporterisapersonspeciallytrainedtorecordalltestimonyandproduceaword-for-wordaccountcalledatranscript.

Toavoidtheexpenseanddelayofhavingatrial,judgesencouragethelitigantstotrytoreachanagreementresolvingtheirdispute.Inparticular,thecourtsencouragetheuseofmediation,arbitration,andotherformsofalternativedisputeresolution,or"

ADR,"

designedtoproduceanearlyresolutionofadisputewithouttheneedfortrialorothercourtproceedings.Asaresult,litigantsoftendecidetoresolveacivillawsuitwithanagreementknownasa"

settlement."

Ifacaseisnotsettled,thecourtwillscheduleatrial.Inawidevarietyofcivilcases,eithersideisentitledundertheConstitutiontorequestajurytrial.Ifthepartieswaivetheirrighttoajury,thenthecasewillbeheardbyajudgewithoutajury.

Atatrial,witnessestestifyunderthesupervisionofajudge.Byapplyingrulesofevidence,thejudgedetermineswhichinformationmaybepresentedinthecourtroom.Toensurethatwitnessesspea