Why is the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals so named?

2 Comments:

1. 

   Rohit

   May 17, 2007 at 6:32 pm

   The Americans haven’t watched Munnabhai. As a result they continue to associate “circuit” with appeal and justice.
2. 

   prashant

   May 21, 2007 at 10:53 am

   Appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. There are 13 circuit courts in USA each covering different geographic areas. The circuit courts have the power to consider or hear an appeal ONLY and not trials. Hence they are different that Trial courts.

   Trials, at which witnesses and evidence are presented to a jury in order to determine the truth regarding a particular case, are held only in courts with original jurisdiction, i.e., courts in which a lawsuit is originally filed and which have the power to accept evidence from witnesses and make legal determinations regarding the evidence presented. Such trial courts also determine punishment (in criminal cases), or what damages (in civil cases) should be awarded. Because the courts of appeals possess only appellate jurisdiction, they do not hold trials.

   Instead, appeals courts decide only the question of whether the trial court followed proper procedures in reaching its conclusion in a particular case. Accordingly, an appeals court considers only the record (that is, the papers the parties filed and the transcripts and any exhibits from any trial) from the trial court, and the legal arguments of the parties. At such hearings, only the parties’ lawyers speak to the court.

   An appellate court cannot find anyone “guilty” or “not guilty”. Because the appeals court is judging the trial itself, not the defendant, no one is ever convicted or sentenced by an appeals court.

   The 9th ciruit court is headquartered in San Francisco and is the largest of the 13 circuit courts.

   More information :
   1) US Court of Appeals
   2) 9th Circuit Court