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Article III
Federal Judiciary
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1789
Congress Passes Judiciary Act Of 1789
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1789
Congress Passes Judiciary Act Of 1789
Article III of the Constitution establishes that there shall be a Supreme Court and other lower federal courts that Congress can create. Because Article III does not include many specifics about the structure of these courts, as one of its first orders of business, Congress passes the Judiciary Act of 1789. Sen. Oliver Ellsworth, who was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, takes the lead in drafting the legislation. This law creates a six-person Supreme Court (one chief justice and five associate justices) and three Circuit Courts and 13 District Courts in the major cities. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court has nine justices (the chief justice and eight associate justices), 13 U.S. Courts of Appeal (to hear appeals of trial courts) and 94 District Courts (the trial courts). Other federal cases are heard through the federal bankruptcy courts and the court of claims. The Constitution and this Act, which has been modified over the years, also clarified what limited types of cases would be heard in the federal courts, leaving all other matters to the state courts.
Text of the Judiciary Act, with Explanation:
Source:
1790
Supreme Court Convenes For First Time In New York
1791
Supreme Court convenes in Philadelphia
1795
The Senate rejects nomination of John Rutledge as Chief Justice
1800
Supreme Court moves to Washington D.C.
1803
The Supreme Court asserts the right of judicial review
1804
Federal Judge Pickering is first official to be impeached and convicted
1804
The impeachment and acquittal of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
1830
The impeachment and acquittal of Federal Judge James H. Peck
1855
Congress creates a Court of Claims
1862
The impeachment and conviction of Judge West H. Humphreys
1863 - 1867
The size of the Supreme Court fluctuates
1873
Federal Judge Mark H. Delahay resigns after impeachment by House.
1891
Congress creates the US. Courts of Appeals
1905
District Judge Charles H. Swayne impeached but found not guilty
1913
Federal Judge Robert W. Archbald is impeached and convicted
1922
Uniformity sought in of Federal Court procedures
1926
Judge George W. English resigns after he is impeached by the House
1932
Chief Justice William Howard Taft convinces Congress to build new Supreme Court building
1932
Harold Louderback is impeached and aquitted.
1936
District Judge Halsted L. Ritter impeached and convicted
1937
President Franklin D. Roosevelt tries to "pack" the Supreme Court
1970
The District of Columbia gets a Court of Appeals
1980
Congress creates the U.S. Court of International Trade
1986
First federal judge convicted of crimes while on the bench
1988
District Judge Alcee L. Hastings impeached and convicted
1989
District Court Chief Judge Walter Nixon impeached and convicted
