United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit (1801-1802)
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This page is about a former federal court. For a list of active courts, see: United States federal courts.
The United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit was created, along with the First, Second, Third, Fifth and Sixth circuit courts by the Judiciary Act of 1801. Prior to this act, America's intermediate appeals courts did not have their own judges; each appeal was reviewed by a three-judge panel composed of two judges from the Supreme Court and the district court judge who had issued the decision being appealed. There were as many of these courts as district courts, and they were named from the name of the judicial district.
The Judiciary Act of 1801 divided the country into six distinct judicial circuits, each of which contained two to three judicial districts, to hear appeals from those district. It also provided for three new judges to be appointed for each of these courts, with one exception: the sixth circuit would only get one new judge, and the rest of that bench would be filled by the judges of the Tennessee and Kentucky district courts.[1][2]
This system was abolished in 1802, when Congress repealed the Judiciary Act of 1801.[1]
