by Cameron Burke
Information
and Records Available From the Federal Court - The Federal Court
website in Idaho can be found at http://www.id.uscourts.gov/. At
this site, you can access Local Rules, Federal Rules, written opinions,
calendars, statistical information, announcements, chambers procedures,
court forms and procedures, a glossary of legal terms, as well
as other information about specific court processes (i.e. bankruptcy,
pro se civil cases, and available programs for the public). You
can also access the Court’s Electronic Case Filing System
(ECF) which provides images of all public documents filed in each
District and Bankruptcy Court proceeding. To obtain access to court
records, you need to have a login and password available at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/.
You may also call the court Voice Case Information
System (VCIS) to obtain information about bankruptcy cases. This
includes the
status of the case, scheduled hearings and the parties involved
in the case including the judge, attorneys, and trustee. The telephone
number to access this system is 208-334-9386
Contacting the Court
by Telephone - Any questions about the Federal Court, case information
or procedures may be directed to the Clerk’s Office in Boise
at 208-334-1361, Coeur d’Alene at 208-664-4925, Pocatello
at 208-478-4123 and Moscow at 208-882-7612. You may contact the
ECF help desk at 1-800-699-9842.
Courthouse Technology - The Federal
Court has a WI-FI network set up in the courthouses in Boise, Pocatello
and Coeur d’Alene, which allows litigants to access the Internet
for business purposes. There are also guides regarding the use
of evidence presentation systems available at the courthouses.
For example, here is the guide for Boise: http://www.id.uscourts.gov/docs/ecourtrm-boi.pdf.
Visitors to the Clerk’s Offices may also use public terminals
to look at Court documents in civil, criminal and bankruptcy proceedings.
There is no charge for these services.
Media Tips - The status
of cases and the court calendar are available on the Court’s
web site: www.id.uscourts.gov. If you have a question about the
business of the court, you may contact the Court Executive at 208-334-1373.
Written decisions can be downloaded free by accessing
the Court web site under “Attorney Resources.” The
link for District Court decisions is http://www.id.uscourts.gov/dc_decisions.htm.
The link for Bankruptcy Court written decisions is http://www.id.uscourts.gov/cfCourt/Decisions/BK_DecisionIndex.cfm.
Pursuant to District Court, Local Rule
83.1 courthouse supporting personnel cannot disclose to any person
information relating to any pending criminal or civil proceeding
that is not part of the public records of the Court without specific
authorization of the Court.
In a widely publicized or sensational
case likely to receive massive publicity, the Court generally meets
with the litigants and the
media to establish procedures for the trial. Media rooms are also
available at the courthouses for extended trials.
All forms, means,
and manner of taking photographs, tape recordings, videotaping,
broadcasting, or televising are prohibited in a United States courtroom
or its environs during the course of, or in connection with, any
judicial proceedings whether the Court is actually in session or
not. The Court may permit photographs of exhibits or use of videotapes
or tape recordings under the supervision of counsel. However, a
judge may permit (A) the use of electronic or photographic means
for the presentation of evidence or the perpetuation of a record,
and (B) the broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing
of investiture, ceremonial, naturalization proceedings, or for
other purposes.
The Structure of the Federal Courts - The Supreme
Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary. Congress has
established two levels of federal courts under the Supreme Court:
the trial courts and the appellate courts.
Trial Courts - The United
States district courts are the trial courts of the federal court
system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the
district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories
of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters. There
are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district
in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the
District of Idaho, the District and Bankruptcy Courts have been
consolidated for administrative purposes since 1984. The Federal
Court in Idaho has two Circuit Judges, two District Judges, two
Bankruptcy Judges and two Magistrate Judges. All the judges conduct
business in the courthouses located in Boise, Moscow, Coeur d’Alene
and Pocatello.
Justices and Judges - Justices of the Supreme Court,
judges of the courts of appeals and the district courts are appointed
for life under Article III of the Constitution by the President
of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Bankruptcy judges are judicial officers of the district
courts and are appointed by the courts of appeals for 14-year terms.
Magistrate judges are judicial officers of the district courts
and are appointed
by the judges of the district court for eight-year terms.
Appeals
Court - The 94 judicial districts are organized into 12 regional
circuits, each of which has a United States court of appeals.
A court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located
within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of
federal administrative agencies. Appeals from the District of Idaho
are
generally filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals located
in
San Francisco.
Supreme Court - The United States Supreme
Court
consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and
eight associate justices. At its discretion, and within certain
guidelines
established
by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited
number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin
in
the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important
questions
about the Constitution or federal law. More information
about the Federal Courts can be obtained at http://www.id.uscourts.gov/outreach/Materials/UFC99.pdf. |