Final answer:
The Supreme Court hears most cases on appeal from the U.S. courts of appeals or state supreme courts, focusing on significant constitutional questions or divergent law interpretations. Most legal disputes, however, are handled by state courts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Origin of Cases Heard by the Supreme Court:
Most of the cases that the Supreme Court hears come from lower courts in the U.S. judicial system, primarily the circuit courts, or U.S. courts of appeals, and state supreme courts. These cases reach the Supreme Court on appeal, after having been heard in federal district courts or in the judicial systems of various states. The Supreme Court generally exercises appellate jurisdiction, with original jurisdiction being rare and limited to specific cases such as those involving ambassadors or states.
The writ of certiorari is a crucial tool in this process, enabling the Supreme Court to review decisions from lower courts. However, the Court is selective, hearing fewer than one hundred cases annually from the tens of thousands of petitions it receives. It chooses cases that present significant constitutional questions or where there has been divergent interpretations of law among lower courts.
The state courts, on the other hand, are responsible for the vast majority of legal disputes within the United States, dealing with most crimes, civil matters, and family law issues. The federal courts, and by extension the Supreme Court, handle cases involving federal law, international matters, and disputes between states or foreign governments.