Griffin v. California

The term "circuit court" originally referred to the route a judge rode to hold trials in each district in a designated circuit. In sparsely populated areas, the circuit court system alleviated the costs associated with setting up a court in every small town or village.

The U.S. Federal Circuit Court system consists of 12 circuits. The First through Eleventh Circuits contain three or more states each. Territories such as the Virgin Islands and Guam are also included in these circuits. The twelfth circuit is the court for the District of Columbia. Federal circuit courts have jurisdiction over only the states or counties within their circuits. The decisions made by federal district courts can be reviewed by the court of appeals in each circuit.