District court is the court in which most federal cases are first heard in the United States. The district court ranks below the court of appeals. In a district court, questions of fact are decided by a jury, or, if the parties wish, by a judge. The first full hearing of a case is called a trial, and the district court is called a trial court. The district court decides on the truth of contested events, and its decision on the facts of a case is final. But the rules of law used by the court may be reviewed by a higher court, on appeal. The appeal is usually to one of the Courts of Appeals. The Supreme Court of the United States may review a Court of Appeals decision.