Federal criminal prosecutions are handled in the federal judicial districts, not in state court. 18 U.S.C. § 3231 gives the district courts original jurisdiction, exclusive of the state courts, over all offenses against the laws of the United States.
Each district is assigned to one of the regional circuits, whose court of appeals reviews decisions from the district courts within it. Select a state below for its judicial districts, circuit, and the statutes that govern federal prosecutions there.
Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The thirteen judicial circuits of the United States are constituted as follows: Circuits Composition District of Columbia District of Columbia. First Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island. Second Connecticut, New York, Vermont. Third Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands. Fourth Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia. Fifth District of the Canal Zone, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas. Sixth Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee. Seventh Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin. Eighth Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota. Ninth Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii. Tenth Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming. Eleventh Alabama, Florida, Georgia. Federal All Federal judicial districts.”
- About the U.S. Courts of Appeals (uscourts.gov). Verbatim: “In the federal system, 94 district courts are organized into 12 regional circuits. Each circuit has its own court of appeals that reviews cases decided in U.S. district courts within the circuit.”
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Publisher: Federal Criminal Law Review Desk — Federal Criminal Law Review Desk
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