Original post here: https://x.com/NuclearHerbs/status/1730294426965307725
Welcome to #PulseChainLawSchool (#PLS) orientation. Classes start tomorrow. Tuition is free, but remember you get what you pay for.
This orientation is for those in #HEX or #PLS overseas or those who haven’t been exposed to the US legal system, and is a VERY oversimplified overview of the structure, but you should get the basics pretty quickly.
Let’s begin by comparing the US Federal Court system to the mafia, because in large part, the US government *is* basically the mob, but without the competence, compassion, or profitability. I’m going to assume everyone has seen the Godfather, so we’ll work with that.
If you think of the mafia as 3 tiers, it correlates nicely with our federal court system. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) is obviously Don Corleone. The caporegime would be the circuit courts of appeals, and the foot soldiers are the trial courts, where cases begin.
Like the mob’s foot soldiers, the trial courts decide facts. Sticking with the Godfather example, if Luca Brasi went into Bob’s Dry Cleaners to collect this week’s protection money, and Bob doesn’t have the money, Bob will try to explain why. Think of this as witness testimony in District Court. At the end of the day, Luca (the district court judge) will decide the facts of Bob’s case and render his verdict. For this case, we’ll assume Bob is going to have his legs broken for failing to pay up.
Bob, not thrilled about having his legs broken, appeals his case to Luca’s capo, Frank Pentangeli (the circuit court of appeals in this example). However, Bob needs to realize that Luca’s decision on the facts is final, and Frank will not listen to any new witness testimony from Bob, because deciding facts is Luca’s job (the district court judge). Frank will not let Bob introduce new evidence that he didn’t present to Luca. Frank will also not let Bob make any new arguments that he didn’t already make to Luca. Any new arguments are now considered to be waived. This seems harsh sometimes, but those are the rules. I didn’t write them.
Frank will simply apply the facts decided by Luca to whatever current mafia rules apply to Bob’s case and will either uphold Luca’s judgment (breaking Bob’s legs) or not. For example, is what Bob did (the fact that he failed to pay) legally sufficient to warrant a leg breaking or does the current mafia law published by Thomas Hagen (the legislature) say Bob should have another chance? In this case, Frank finds that Luca correctly applied the facts to the law and upholds the judgment.
Bob can appeal to Don Corleone (SCOTUS), but unlike the appeals court, SCOTUS is not required to take his case. Don Corleone doesn’t have the time to listen to everyone who wants to talk to him. Bob’s petition will be reviewed and if there’s a good reason to review his case, it will be accepted. Perhaps there is a novel issue of considerable importance that will have an impact on the rest of the family business. Perhaps two or three different capos have heard similar cases from people like Bob and have come to different verdicts about how Bob should be dealt with, and some consistency between the circuit courts is needed to keep ‘this thing of ours’ running smoothly. A decision from Don Corleone will be the end of Bob’s journey, one way or the other, and whether it’s right or wrong from a legal standpoint. It is final, just like an opinion from SCOTUS.
Like the mafia, SCOTUS gets things wrong sometimes. Look up Plessy v Ferguson, Korematsu, or the Dred Scott case. But like Don Corleone, a decision made on an issue is final and binding. You don’t get to argue it further in any other court. This is the benefit of being the head of the family, even if the cost is whacking a few people who really didn’t deserve it.
tl;dr:
The federal court system has 3 tiers, with each upward tier having more power over the courts below it.
The lowest tier is the district court, where witness testimony and other evidence is introduced, and a single judge renders a verdict.
The middle tier is the circuit court of appeals. These are 3 judge panels, although some cases are later heard en banc (by all the judges). They do not take new witness testimony or new evidence. They simply decide whether the district court judge made the correct legal ruling based on the testimony and evidence it had.
The top floor is SCOTUS, and whatever they say goes, whether they get it right or wrong. If Congress disagrees with their ruling, they can pass new legislation that effectively overrules their decision, but as far as the entire country’s court system (all state and federal courts) is concerned, it’s over.
Finally, all of the above are generalizations and cover most cases out there. There are exceptions to everything, so I don’t want to hear about the time this or that happened at the court of appeals. I know it did. This post isn’t for you. Go sit by yourself in the AP class.
Oh, and just because it’s the internet and some people have the IQ of a brain-damaged hamster, nothing I say is legal advice. See you tomorrow.
And congratulations to @br0nn0 for the winning mascot! Appreciate the submission.
