t, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and others. Actions by these quasi judicial bodies, however, may not include findings of criminal responsibility. When criminal action is to be brought in such cases, the case must be submitted to a United States District Court. Federal trial courts also include the military justice system. The military justice system is separate from the federal civilian court system; however, and the Court of Military Appeals is the highest court within the military justice system. Rulings of the Court of Military Appeals may be appealed further to the Supreme Court of the United States.
The appellate courts in the federal system included the United States Supreme Court as the court of last resort and the United States Circuit Courts of Appeal. The federal appellate system also includes the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the Court of Claims; however, these courts do not hear criminal cases. The United States Circuit Courts of Appeal may hear cases originally heard by United States District Courts or cases wherein the rulings of state supreme courts are appealed. The United States Supreme Court may hear cases wherein the rulings of United States Circuit Courts of Appeal are appealed. The United States Supreme Court may also accept direct appeals from the rulings of state supreme courts.
One of the most important decisions made by the United States Supreme Court is whether to hear a case. During the 1990 court term, as an example, hearings were denied to 97 percent of the cases forwarded to the United States Supreme Court. Although a writ of certiorari denying a hearing to a case is not a ruling on the merits of a case, the practical outcome of such a writ is to uphold the ruling of the last court to hear the case. A minimum of four justices must vote to hear a case, or a writ of certiorari is issued.
Several factors are involved in the court's decision to...