<P> In the United States federal court system , the intermediate appellate courts are divided into thirteen `` circuits , '' each covering some range of territory ranging in size from the District of Columbia alone up to seven states . Each panel of judges on the court of appeals for a circuit is bound to obey the prior appellate decisions of the same circuit . Precedent of a United States court of appeals may be overruled only by the court en banc , that is , a session of all the active appellate judges of the circuit , or by the United States Supreme Court , not simply by a different three - judge panel . </P>
<P> In the United States federal court system , the intermediate appellate courts are divided into thirteen `` circuits , '' each covering some range of territory ranging in size from the District of Columbia alone up to seven states . Each panel of judges on the court of appeals for a circuit is bound to obey the prior appellate decisions of the same circuit . Precedent of a United States court of appeals may be overruled only by the court en banc , that is , a session of all the active appellate judges of the circuit , or by the United States Supreme Court , not simply by a different three - judge panel . </P>
when is the court of appeal not bound by its own previous decisions
when is the court of appeal not bound by its own previous decisions
may be overruled only by the court en banc , that is , a session of all the active appellate judges of the circuit , or by the United States Supreme Court , not simply by a different three - judge panel
may be overruled only by the court en banc , that is , a session of all the active appellate judges of the circuit , or by the United States Supreme Court , not simply by a different three - judge panel