Confederate States District Court
Information about the C S District Court during the Civil War

The Confederate District courts replaced the United States District courts in the Confederate States. The Confederate District courts decided cases arising under laws passed by the Confederate Congress including cases such as criminal cases for violations of criminal laws passed by the Confederate Congress and habeas corpus cases dealing with prisoners or detainees held by the Confederate government under Confederate law. The Confederate Congress eliminated diversity of citizenship jurisdiction with the goal of reducing the scope and powers of the Confederate District courts, while promoting the importance of the various state courts. Because of various disputes the Confederate Supreme Court was never established. This Court is often referred to as Judge Halyburton's Court in the newspapers,

• The Supreme Court of the Confederate States of America by Robert W. Ferrell

• Confederate and Carpetbaggers: The Precedential Value of Decisions from the Civil War and Reconstruction Era

Written Accounts