Federal courts in Texas hear cases that deal with violations of federal laws or the United States constitution, and lawsuits against the U.S. government.
Federal courts handle antitrust, bankruptcy, patent, and copyright cases. They do not generally deal with murders, robberies, family disputes, or most contract disputes, which are handled by state courts.
Texas has four federal judicial districts, each of which hears cases from a particular part of the state, and each of which employs about two dozen judges, including district court judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges. The courts are called:
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas;
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas;
- U.S. District and Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas;
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
District court judges are appointed by the U.S. president with the consent of the U.S. Senate and serve a life term. Magistrate judges are appointed by the district court judges.
Appeals from all Texas federal courts go to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which also hears cases from Louisiana and Mississippi.
Boundaries of Federal District Courts in Texas
