| Federal Judge |
Article Index for Federal |
Website Links For United States |
Information AboutFederal Judge |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT UNITED STATES FEDERAL JUDGE | |
| united states federal judges | |
|
While judges of some courts with special jurisdictions, among them federal Magistrate s and Bankruptcy judges, are also sometimes referred to as "federal judges", they are not judges in the sense in which the term is used in Article III. The distinction is sometimes expressed by saying that they are not "Article III judges". In addition to the United States Supreme Court (whose existence and some aspects of whose jurisdiction are beyond the Constitutional power of Congress to alter) acts of Congress have established thirteen Courts Of Appeals (also called "circuit courts") with Appellate Jurisdiction over different regions of the United States, and more than 100 United States District Court s. TENURE AND SALARY "Article III federal judges" (as opposed to judges of some courts with special jurisdictions) serve "during good behavior". They cannot be removed from office except by Impeachment by the House of Representatives followed by conviction by the Senate. Often this is expressed by saying they are appointed "for life". They hold their seats until they resign, die, or are impeached and convicted. Since the impeachment process requires a trial by the United States Senate , and since the Constitutional provision concerning federal judges' tenure cannot be changed without the ratifications of three-fourths of the (now 50) states, federal judges have the best job security available in the United States. Moreover, the Constitution forbids Congress to diminish a federal judge's salary. 20th-century experience suggests that Congress is not willing to take time out of its busy schedule to impeach a federal judge until, after criminal conviction, the judge is in prison and still drawing his judge's salary, which cannot otherwise be taken away. The judges of the courts mentioned above with special jurisdictions—"non-Article III judges"— are appointed for specified terms by the administrative bodies of the federal judiciary. SEE ALSO |
|
|