Frequently Asked Questions About Federal Law

Why are federal judges important?

Federal judges have important functions in our society. They make decisions over various aspects of our lives and determine everything from environmental issues to the power of the government. Federal judges have influence over the education system and worker’s compensation. They limit how far police can go in law enforcement and they determine what can be considered a reasonable amount of prison time for federal crimes.

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How long do federal judges serve?

Once a judge is a member of the federal judges, he/she will probably stay there for life. The only way a federal judge will give up the position is if he/she makes the decision to retire or resign. Even though federal judges can be impeached, it is unlikely to happen. In order to be independent, federal judges should not be able to be removed after they made an unpopular decision. For that reason it is very important that the Senate carefully reviews the records before nominating a certain person to become a federal judge.

What is a runaway jury?

The runaway grand jury is composed of the grand jurors that, for the most part, make their own decisions. Consider the 1930’s New York runaway grand jury. The grand jurors paid no attention to the prosecutors. They prevented them from coming into the grand jury room and investigated on their own behalf in order to reach a decision about the corruption of the New York city government. Today, runaway juries are not very common anymore and grand jurors seem not to make use of their right to act independently.

What is a warrant?

A warrant is a judicial order authorizing law enforcement officers to arrest or search. Warrants are issued by a judge when he has enough information to believe a crime has been committed and the person named in the warrant probably committed that crime or the place to be searched is the probable location of evidence of that crime.

What is a capital offense?

A capital offense is a crime punishable by death or life imprisonment, depending upon the state in which the crime was committed.

What is a grand jury?

A grand jury is a body of citizens who listen to evidence of criminal allegations, which are presented by the government, and determines whether there is probable cause to believe the offense was committed. As it is used in federal criminal cases, "the government" refers to the lawyers of the U.S. attorney's office who are prosecuting the case.

What is the Fifth Amendment?

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that a person cannot be compelled to present self-incriminating testimony in a criminal proceeding.

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