Federal laws are separate from state laws.  Federal laws are passed by Congress and signed by the President.  State laws are passed in state legislatures and signed by their Governors.  Federal prosecutors can only bring charges under federal law.  There is no federal statute that covers crimes like murder or assault...each state has its own laws and punishment for such crimes.  .  Crimes like arson or kidnapping violate federal laws and are prosecuted by the Department of Justice through the Attorney General.  There are 12 federal court districts, each with its own District Court and Court of Appeals.  Some districts have a majority of judges that were appointed by Clinton or Obama and are quite liberal.  POTUS and the Senate are busy filling vacancies in the federal courts with more conservative-thinking, constitutionalist judges.  The Federal District Court of NY is one of the most liberal courts. It's a sad fact of life that this kind of information (civics) is no longer taught in public schools.