FORTY YEARS AGO last Sunday, five men broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex in Washington DC in a botched operation that would spark a chain of events that two years later would see Richard Nixon resign as the 37th president of the United States.
Federal courts hear cases involving violations of federal statues, crimes committed on federal property or disputes between residents of different states. State courts hear cases involving violations of state laws or disputes between two or more residents of that state. The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is a Federal Court. This Court is completely separate from State Courts.
The purpose of federal district courts is to handle small cases, such as those between businesses and people suing other people. The purpose of federal district courts is to handle the small problems that occur that need settling. Another View: US District Courts handle ALL matters (large and small - civil and criminal) which involve federal law and which originate within their jurisdiction. They are the lowest level courts of original jurisdiction within the federal system.