Federal Criminal Law in Pennsylvania at a Glance
The Federal Judicial District(s) Covering Pennsylvania
28 U.S.C. § 118 defines the federal judicial district(s) for Pennsylvania:
“Pennsylvania is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.” — 28 U.S.C. § 118
Appeals from those district courts go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Circuit membership is set by 28 U.S.C. § 41, which lists Pennsylvania among the states of the Third Circuit.
Federal Criminal Appellate Review for Cases Arising in Pennsylvania
Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 118 — Pennsylvania (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Pennsylvania is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (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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