Under the
Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited
original jurisdiction (
i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions. • "C.C.D." = United States Circuit Court for the District of . . . •
e.g.,"C.C.D.N.J." = United States Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey • "D." = United States District Court for the District of . . . •
e.g.,"D. Mass." =
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts • "E." = Eastern; "M." = Middle; "N." = Northern; "S." = Southern; "W." = Western •
e.g.,"C.C.S.D.N.Y." = United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York •
e.g.,"M.D. Ala." =
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama • "Ct. Cl." =
United States Court of Claims • The abbreviation of a state's name alone indicates the highest appellate court in that state's judiciary at the time. •
e.g.,"Pa." =
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania •
e.g.,"Me." =
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine == List of cases in volume 113 U.S. ==