Also known as:district courts · U.S. district court
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A federal trial court possessing original jurisdiction over civil actions arising under federal law and over diversity cases meeting the statutory amount in controversy.
Sources & Authorities· 22 primary sources
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Cases
Statutes
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Removal Notice Filing
Darrell Duncan sued a state agency in state court. The defendant prepared a notice of removal containing a short statement of diversity grounds along with copies of the served pleadings and filed it in the United States District Court for the district where the state action was pending.
Expert Testimony Gatekeeping
Darius Dixon offered an expert opinion linking chemical exposure to his injuries. The district court excluded the testimony after finding an analytical gap between the data and the proffered conclusion, and the appellate court reviewed that exclusion for abuse of discretion.
Derek Douglas moved to exclude certain records in a federal civil trial. The district court applied the Federal Rules of Evidence to resolve the motion because those rules govern proceedings in United States district courts.
Transfer Despite No Jurisdiction
Dorothy Daniels sued in a district court lacking personal jurisdiction over the defendant. The court transferred the action under section 1406(a) to a district where the case could have been brought rather than dismissing it.
Rule 403 Prejudice Balancing
David Dawson offered to stipulate to his prior felony conviction in a felon-in-possession prosecution. The district court excluded the full record of the conviction because its probative value was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.
Three-Judge District Court
Diana Delgado and other students sought admission to nonsegregated schools. A three-judge federal district court denied relief under the separate-but-equal doctrine, prompting further review.
Brown v. Board of Education [*Brown I*]347 U.S. 483, 74 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873 (1954)
Common questions
Frequently Asked
3
Where must a defendant file a notice of removal?+
A defendant files the notice in the United States district court for the district and division where the state action is pending.
What standard applies when a district court decides whether to admit expert testimony?+
The district court acts as gatekeeper and must assess both the reliability and relevance of the proposed expert testimony before deciding admissibility.
May a district court lacking personal jurisdiction still transfer a case?+
Yes. The absence of personal jurisdiction does not prevent the district court from ordering a transfer under section 1406(a) in the interest of justice.
410 U.S. 113 (1973)Constitutional Law
…were unconstitutional on their face, and an injunction restraining the defendant from enforcing the statutes. A three-judge District Court for the Northern District of Texas, to which the action was referred, held that the Does and Hallford had no standing to sue, but that Roe did have standing, and that the Texas abortion…