Also known as: federal district court · U.S. district courts · district courts · federal trial courts
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
The trial-level courts of the federal judicial system that exercise original jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases arising under federal law or involving diverse parties. These courts conduct trials, manage pretrial proceedings, and issue orders subject to appeal.
Frederick Ferguson sued Flagship Logistics in federal district court under federal maritime law for cargo damage. After the complaint was filed, Frederick added a state-law breach of contract claim against a new party arising from the same shipment. The court exercised authority over the added claim because it shared a common nucleus of operative facts with the original federal claim.
Felix Franco filed suit against Frontier Capital in a federal district court that lacked personal jurisdiction over the defendant. Rather than dismiss the action, the court transferred the case under section 1406(a) to a district where both personal jurisdiction and venue existed, preserving the action in the interest of justice.
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Felicity French offered a business record into evidence during a contract trial in federal district court. The court applied the Federal Rules of Evidence to determine admissibility because the proceeding was pending before a United States district court.
Francois Fortier obtained a preliminary injunction from a federal district court halting enforcement of a state regulation. The defendant immediately appealed the order to the court of appeals under the statute authorizing interlocutory review of injunction decisions.
Forrest Falconer and Francesca Fiore, a same-sex couple, filed suit in federal district court challenging a state marriage ban under the Fourteenth Amendment. The district court conducted the initial proceedings and entered judgment before the case reached the court of appeals.
A special prosecutor sought enforcement of a subpoena for presidential tapes in federal district court. The court rejected a claim of executive privilege and ordered production after balancing the need for evidence against the asserted privilege.
A federal district court may decline supplemental jurisdiction when the claim raises a novel or complex issue of state law, substantially predominates over the federal claims, or when exceptional circumstances provide compelling reasons for declining jurisdiction.
No. A federal district court lacking personal jurisdiction may still transfer the action under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a) to a district where the case could have been brought, rather than dismissing it.
The Federal Rules of Evidence apply to all proceedings in United States district courts, including civil, criminal, and contempt matters, except where specific privileges apply at every stage.
Yes. Interlocutory orders of federal district courts granting, refusing, or modifying injunctions are appealable as of right to the courts of appeals under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(1).
…one man and one woman. The petitioners, 14 same-sex couples and two men whose same-sex partners are deceased, filed suits in Federal District Courts in their home States, claiming that respondent state officials violate the Fourteenth Amendment by denying them the right to marry or to have marriages lawfully performed in another State…