United States territorial courts

U.S. Federal Courts
General jurisdiction courts
Supreme Court of the United States U.S. Courts of Appeal Federal district courts U.S. territorial courts
Subject-matter jurisdiction
Bankruptcy courts Court of Federal Claims Armed Forces Veterans Claims Tax Court International Trade Intelligence Surveillance
Federal judges
Federal judiciary
Federal vacancies

The United States territorial courts are established in territories of the United States by the Congress. Though the courts are named as district courts, they are not Article III courts, but are created in accordance with the power granted under Article IV of the United States Constitution. The judges of the territorial courts are Article IV federal judges that are appointed by the president to 10-year terms.

The United States territorial courts

District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands

The District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands is part of the Ninth Circuit. The court consists of a chief judge and a federal magistrate judge, who also serves as of the court clerk. The court is located on Saipan Island, the capital of The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The court hears the same federal cases as a United States district court and also fills the role of the bankruptcy court for the commonwealth.

District Court of Guam

The District Court of Guam is part of the Ninth Circuit. The court consists of a chief judge and a federal magistrate judge. The court is located in Hagatna, Guam. The court was created in 1951 under the Organic Act of Guam and had original jurisdiction over local cases until 1994 when the Supreme Court of Guam was created. The court now hears federal cases as well as serving as the bankruptcy court.

District Court of the Virgin Islands

The District Court of the Virgin Islands is part of the Third Circuit. The make-up of the court is two Article IV judges and two federal magistrate judges. The court is separated into two districts whose seats are found in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Christiansted, St. Croix. The court was created by the Organic Act of 1936. The court has the same jurisdiction as a United States district court and United States bankruptcy court.

See also

• United States district court

External links

• United States District Court of the Virgin Islands
• United States District Court of Guam
• United States District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands