Also known as: U.S. Courts of Appeals · United States Court of Appeals · U.S. Court of Appeals · federal courts of appeals · circuit courts · federal appellate courts
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
The federal intermediate appellate courts established in each judicial circuit to review decisions of the district courts within their geographic or subject-matter jurisdiction. These courts sit in panels of three or more judges and issue binding precedent for the trial courts in their circuits.
Umeko Uchida sued Uptown Apparel in federal district court and lost on several evidentiary objections. She appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The appellate court applied the Federal Rules of Evidence to assess whether the district court's pretrial rulings were correct.
Uri Underwood and his partner challenged a state marriage ban in district court and lost. They appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The court reviewed the constitutional claims and issued a decision that later reached the Supreme Court.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Ugo Uberti sought a writ of mandamus from the district court to compel a government officer to deliver his commission. After denial he appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The court examined whether it possessed authority to issue the writ against an executive officer.
Una Ueda was convicted under a federal statute for possessing a firearm near a school. She appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The court considered whether Congress had exceeded its commerce power in enacting the statute.
Uriah Urban was convicted of mail fraud after the trial judge instructed the jury on his failure to testify. He appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The court reviewed the unpreserved instructional error under the plain-error standard.
Ultimate Solutions challenged a federal firearms registration requirement after an adverse district court ruling. It appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The court examined the constitutionality of the registration provision under the Second Amendment.
The rules apply to proceedings before United States district courts, bankruptcy and magistrate judges, courts of appeals, the Court of Federal Claims, and certain territorial district courts.
There are thirteen courts of appeals: twelve regional circuits covering multiple states and the District of Columbia, plus the Federal Circuit with specialized subject-matter jurisdiction.
These courts review convictions and sentences from district courts, applying standards such as plain-error review for unpreserved claims and harmless-error analysis for preserved claims.
…view is not novel. In 1792 an act directing the Secretary at War to place on the pension list disabled officers reported by the circuit courts was deemed unconstitutional so far as it imposed duties on the courts, and after a repeal Congress provided a different mode and enacted that the Secretary of War in conjunction with the…