<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system . Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty . There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States district court . Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and many districts have more than one . The formal name of a district court is "the United States District Court for" the name of the district--for example, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri . </P> <P> In contrast to the Supreme Court, which was established by Article III of the Constitution, the district courts were established by Congress . There is no constitutional requirement that district courts exist at all . Indeed, after the ratification of the Constitution, some opponents of a strong federal judiciary urged that the federal court system be limited to the Supreme Court, which would hear appeals from state courts . This view did not prevail, however, and the first Congress created the district court system that is still in place today . </P>

What kind of cases does us district court hear