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Supreme Court. Under the confederation there was no national judicial department.
The Supreme Court was organized in 1789, with one
chief-justice and five
associate judges.
There are now eight
associate justices.
It holds one term annually at the seat of government, commencing on the second Monday in October.
The
United States are divided for judicial purposes into nine circuits, and these circuits are subdivided into two or more districts.
The 1st circuit consists of the States of
Maine,
Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, and
Rhode Island; 2d,
Connecticut, New York, and
Vermont; 3d,
Delaware,
New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania; 4th,
Maryland,
North Carolina,
South Carolina,
Virginia, and
West Virginia; 5th,
Alabama,
Florida,
Georgia,
Louisiana,
Mississippi, and
Texas; 6th,
Kentucky,
Michigan,
Ohio, and
Tennessee; 7th,
Illinois,
Indiana, and
Wisconsin; 8th,
Arkansas,
Colorado,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
Nebraska,
North Dakota,
South Dakota, and
Wyoming; 9th,
California,
Idaho,
Nevada,
Oregon,
Montana, and
Washington.
Each judge of the Supreme Court is allotted a circuit, and is required to attend that circuit at least one term every two years. Salary of chief-justice, $10,500; each justice, $10,000 a year.
Circuit courts, established and organized by Congress.
Each of the circuits has allotted to it one of the judges of the Supreme Court, and has a local judge appointed, termed circuit judge.
There are twenty-five circuit judges, all excepting two circuits having three judges each.
Salary, $6,000 a year.
Circuit court of appeals, established and organized by Congress, 1891, for the relief of the Supreme Court.
The justice of the Supreme Court presiding over the circuit, the circuit judge, and a judge appointed for this special court constitute it. Salary, $6,000 a year.
District courts, established and organized by Congress.
Of these districts there are seventy-six, each presided over by a judge, termed district judge.
Salary, $5,000 a year.
Court of claims, established and organized by Congress, 1855, to hear and determine claims against the
United States.
It consists of one
chief-justice and four
associate judges.
The solicitor-general appears before this court.
Salary of judges, $4,500 per annum.
Court of private land claims, established and organized by Congress, consists of one
chief-justice and four
associate judges.
Salary, $5,000 per annum.
Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, established and organized by Congress, consists of one
chief-justice and four
associate judges.
Salary of chief-justice, $4,500;
associate judges, $4,000. Territorial courts, established and organized by Congress.
Arizona, one
chief-justice and three
associate judges;
Indian Territory, one judge;
New Mexico, one judge and four
associate judges;
Oklahoma, one
chief-justice and two
associate judges.
Salary, $3,000 per annum.
When any judge of any court of the
United States resigns his office, after having held his commission as such at least ten years, and having reached seventy years of age during his service, he shall receive during life the same salary as at the time of his resignation.
This right is given to no other class of civil officers under the government of the
United States.
The
Attorney-General appears in the Supreme Court of the
United States in behalf of the government.
There is also a United States district attorney appointed for each district in which circuit and district courts are held, to look after the interest of the government in all cases that concern it. Women were admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of the
United States by act of Congress, approved Feb. 15, 1879.
In addition to the above, there are special courts created from time to time for specific purposes, as the court on Spanish War claims.
In 1900 Congress established a district court for
Alaska, with judges residing in
Juneau,
St. Michael's, and
Eagle City, and also provided a civil code for the
Territory.
In cases where constitutional questions are involved, appeals and writs of error from this court may be taken to the United States Supreme Court; where other questions are involved they may be taken to the United States Circuit Court of the 9th District.
For a full list of the judges of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, District Courts, Court of Claims, etc., see
federal government.
