Federal Courts
VII. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
A. Courts in Which Rules are
Applicable
32 Am Jur 2d Federal Courts § 306
§ 306 Courts of territories or possessions
The expression "District Court of the United States" appearing in the statute authorizing the Supreme Court of the United States to promulgate Rules of Civil Procedure does not include district courts held in the territories and insular possessions. n1 Such courts are legislative courts and not district courts of the United States in the constitutional sense. n2
However, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure apply to the United States district courts n3 and the term "court of the
United States" includes district courts constituted by Chapter 5 of the Judicial Code and the term "district" and "judicial district" mean the districts enumerated in Chapter 5 of the Judicial Code; n4 Puerto Rico constitutes one judicial district. n5 The District Court of Guam also has the jurisdiction of a district court of the United States. n6 The judicial power of the Virgin Islands is likewise vested in a court of record designated
the "District Court of the Virgin Islands." n7
