Federal Judiciary
By Cameron Burke

Information and Records Available From the Federal Court
The Federal Court Web site 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: http://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 9th 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.