From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Stephen Sprunk  wrote:   
      
   >Federal courts/law are superior to state courts/law; however, federal   
   >courts only have original jurisdiction in specific matters.  Cases   
   >usually get into federal courts via appeal from state courts.   
      
   Wrong again, Stephen; that's not how federalism works. State law and federal   
   law are parallel systems, not inferior/superior. In order to get a matter   
   heard in state court into federal court, there has to be a federal matter   
   for the federal courts to adjudicate. You can't just appeal from the   
   highest state appellate court to the US Supreme Court if there's no   
   federal matter.   
      
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