ABSTRACT
The United States court system is an integral component of American government. The Supreme Court is often referred to as the least understood government institution in the United States. United States Courts of Appeals were created by Congress in 1891 to relieve the caseload pressure on the US Supreme Court. The federal district courts are the trial courts of the federal judicial system. Most cases tried in the United States are tried in state courts and end in state courts. The US Supreme Court has recognized the authority of state courts to interpret their own state laws. Trial courts of limited jurisdiction make up a majority of courts and are where most litigation takes place. Trial courts of general jurisdiction are courts of record and may operate with a judge and a jury or only a judge. Some states divide their intermediate appeals courts into two courts-civil and criminal.
