All Topics  
State court

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

State court
 
 
  Topics State court Topic Home

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, a state court has jurisdiction
Jurisdiction

In law, jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility....
 over disputes with some connection to a U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
. Cases are heard before and evidence
Evidence (law)

The law of evidence governs the use of testimony and exhibit s or other documentary material which is admissible in a dispute resolution ....
 is presented in a trial court
Trial court

A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place.A trial court of general jurisdiction is authorized to hear any type of Civil law or Criminal law Legal case that is not committed exclusively to another court....
, which is usually located in a courthouse
Courthouse

File:HistoricalMarkerUSGeorgiaMarchToTheSeaStatesboroRight.jpgA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities....
 in the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
. Territory outside of any state in the United States, such as the District of Columbia or American Samoa
American Samoa

American Samoa is an Territories of the United States of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa....
, often have courts established under federal or territorial law which substitute for a state court system, distinct from the ordinary federal court system.

If one of the litigants is unsatisfied with the decision of the lower court, the matter may be taken up on appeal
Appeal

In law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision.The specific procedures for appealing, including even whether there is a right of appeal from a particular type of decision, can vary greatly from country to country....
 (but an acquittal
Acquittal

In criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict of Guilt y being entered against the accused....
 in a criminal trial may not be appealed by the state due to the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which is part of the United States Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure....
 protection against double jeopardy
Double jeopardy

Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being trial twice for the same crime on the same set of facts. At common law a defendant may plead autrefois acquit or autrefois convict , meaning the defendant has been acquitted or convicted of the same offense....
).






Discussion
Ask a question about 'State court'
Start a new discussion about 'State court'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, a state court has jurisdiction
Jurisdiction

In law, jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility....
 over disputes with some connection to a U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
. Cases are heard before and evidence
Evidence (law)

The law of evidence governs the use of testimony and exhibit s or other documentary material which is admissible in a dispute resolution ....
 is presented in a trial court
Trial court

A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place.A trial court of general jurisdiction is authorized to hear any type of Civil law or Criminal law Legal case that is not committed exclusively to another court....
, which is usually located in a courthouse
Courthouse

File:HistoricalMarkerUSGeorgiaMarchToTheSeaStatesboroRight.jpgA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities....
 in the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
. Territory outside of any state in the United States, such as the District of Columbia or American Samoa
American Samoa

American Samoa is an Territories of the United States of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa....
, often have courts established under federal or territorial law which substitute for a state court system, distinct from the ordinary federal court system.

If one of the litigants is unsatisfied with the decision of the lower court, the matter may be taken up on appeal
Appeal

In law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision.The specific procedures for appealing, including even whether there is a right of appeal from a particular type of decision, can vary greatly from country to country....
 (but an acquittal
Acquittal

In criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict of Guilt y being entered against the accused....
 in a criminal trial may not be appealed by the state due to the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which is part of the United States Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure....
 protection against double jeopardy
Double jeopardy

Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being trial twice for the same crime on the same set of facts. At common law a defendant may plead autrefois acquit or autrefois convict , meaning the defendant has been acquitted or convicted of the same offense....
). Usually, an intermediate appellate court, if there is one in that state, often called the state court of appeals, will review the decision of the trial court. If still unsatisfied, the litigant can appeal to the highest appellate court
Appellate court

An appellate court is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In most jurisdictions, the court system is divided into at least three levels: the trial court, which initially hears cases and reviews evidence and testimony to determine the facts of the case; at least one intermediate appell...
 in the state, which is usually called the state supreme court
State supreme court

In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the U.S. state court system.Generally, the state supreme court is exclusively for hearing appeals of legal issues....
. Appellate courts in the United States, unlike their civil law
Civil law (legal system)

Civil law is a most prevalent legal system in the modern world and the oldest in human history. It is based on a code, or "a systematic collection of interrelated articles written in a terse, staccato style." The two other major legal systems in the world are common law and Islamic law....
 counterparts, are generally not permitted to correct mistakes concerning the facts of the case on appeal, only mistakes of law, or findings of fact with no support in the trial court record.

Courts of inferior jurisdiction

Many states have courts of inferior jurisdiction, presided over by (for example) a magistrate
Magistrate

A magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers....
 or justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace

A Justice of the Peace is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a letters patent to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions....
 who hears criminal arraignments
Arraignment

Arraignment is a formal reading of a crime complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform him of the charges against him. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea....
 and tries petty offenses and small civil cases. Larger cities often have city courts which hear traffic offenses and violations of city ordinance
Local ordinance

A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code....
s. Other courts of limited jurisdiction include alderman's
Alderman

An alderman is a member of a Municipal government assembly or council in many jurisdictions. Historically the term could also refer to local municipal judges in small legal proceedings ....
 courts, mayor's courts, recorder's court
Recorder's court

The Recorder's Court, in Detroit, Michigan was a state court of limited jurisdiction which had, for most of its history, exclusive jurisdiction over traffic and ordinance matters, and over all felony cases committed in the City of Detroit....
s, county courts, probate courts, municipal courts, courts of claims, courts of common pleas, family court
Family court

For family court in Hong Kong, see Family Court A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make court order in relation to family law, such as child custody....
s, small claims court
Small claims court

Small claims courts are courts of limited jurisdiction that hear Civil law cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction: it may be known by such names as county court or magistrate's court....
s, tax court
Tax court

Tax courts are courts of limited jurisdiction that deal with tax issues.*United States Tax Court, a United States federal courts**List of Judges of the United States Tax Court...
s, water courts (present in some western states such as Colorado and Montana), and workers' compensation
Workers' compensation

Workers compensation is a form of insurance that provides compensation medical care for employees who are injured in the course of employment, in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence....
 courts.

All these courts are distinguished from courts of general jurisdiction, which are the default type of trial court that can hear any case which is not required to be first heard in a court of inferior jurisdiction. Most such cases are civil cases involving large sums of money or criminal trials arising from serious crimes like rape
Rape

Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
 and murder
Murder

Murder as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide....
.

A few states like California have unified all courts of general and inferior jurisdiction to make the judicial process more efficient. In such judicial systems, there are still departments of limited jurisdiction within the trial courts, and often these departments occupy the exact same facilities they once occupied as independent courts of limited jurisdiction. However, as mere administrative divisions, departments can be rearranged at the discretion of each trial court's presiding judge in response to changing caseloads.

Differences among the states

  • Delaware
    Delaware

    Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named....
    , Mississippi
    Mississippi

    Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
    , New Jersey
    New Jersey

    New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
    , and Tennessee
    Tennessee

    Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
     make a distinction between a "court of law" and a "court of equity
    Court of equity

    A chancery court, equity court or court of equity is a court that is authorized to apply principles of Equity , as opposed to law, to Legal case brought before it....
    " (chancery court
    Chancery Court

    The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England.The presiding officer, the Official Principal and Auditor, has been the same person as the Dean of the Arches since the nineteenth century ....
    ). For the most part in the American legal system, while the distinction between law and equity has some legal consequences, separate court systems are not maintained.


  • Texas
    Texas

    Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
     and Oklahoma
    Oklahoma

    Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
     have separate courts of last resort for criminal cases and other cases. In all other states, there is a single court of last resort. While collateral attacks on criminal convictions, such as state level habeas corpus
    Habeas corpus

    For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
     petitions, are usually considered to be technically civil cases, because they are not brought by a prosecutor and do not seek to convict someone of a crime, these suits are, in both states, appealed to the criminal court of last resort, rather than the civil court of last resort.


  • In Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
     and New York
    New York

    The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
    , the Court of Appeals
    Court of Appeals

    Court of Appeals may refer to:An appellate court generally.In Israel:*Military Court of Appeals In the Philippines:*Philippine Court of Appeals...
     is the highest state court, and in New York the Supreme Court
    New York Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court of the State of New York is New York's trial court, and is of general jurisdiction. There is a supreme court in each of List of New York counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties....
    , Civil Court, and Criminal Court collectively are lower.


  • The courts of Louisiana
    Louisiana

    The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
     and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
    Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
     are organized under a civil law
    Civil law (legal system)

    Civil law is a most prevalent legal system in the modern world and the oldest in human history. It is based on a code, or "a systematic collection of interrelated articles written in a terse, staccato style." The two other major legal systems in the world are common law and Islamic law....
     model with significantly different procedures from those of the courts in all other states and the District of Columbia, which are organized on an American version of the common law
    Common law

    Common law refers to law and the corresponding Legal systems of the world developed through legal opinion of courts and similar tribunals , rather than through statute law or Executive ....
     system established originally in England. The courts of one state are generally not required to follow the decisions of the courts of another state, but in the common law legal system it is customary for the courts of one state to look to decisions of other states as persuasive statements of what the law should be in the state making the decision, where express statutory provisions do not control.


Nature of cases handled in state courts

The vast majority of non-criminal cases in the United States are handled in state courts, rather than federal courts. For example, in Colorado, in 2002, which is typical, roughly 97% of all civil cases were filed in state courts and 89% of the cases filed in federal court were bankruptcies. Just 0.3% of the non-bankruptcy civil cases in the state were filed in federal court. In Colorado, in 2002, there were 79 civil trials in federal court (41 jury and 38 non-jury), and 5950 civil trials in state court (300 jury and 5650 non-jury). Essentially all probate and divorce cases are also brought in state court, even if the parties involved live in different states.

Often, a plaintiff can bring a matter either to state court or federal court, because it arises under federal law, or involves a substantial monetary dispute (in excess of $75,000 as of October 26, 2007) arising under state law between parties that do not reside in the same state. If a plaintiff files suit in state court in such a case, the defendant can "remove" the case to federal court if a timely request is made to do so. Deciding on the jurisdiction is part of litigation strategy for both plaintiff and defendant, in which the make up of the likely juries in each court, and the differences between federal and state court procedures figure highly. A mere federal law defense to a claim arising under state law, however, is generally not a basis for removing a case to federal court from state court. About 91% of people in prison at any given time in the United States were convicted in state court, rather than federal court, including 99% of defendants sentenced to death. Federal courts disproportionately handle white collar crimes, immigration related crimes and drug offenses (these crimes make up about 70% of the federal docket, but just 19% of the state court criminal docket). A large share of the violent crimes that are prosecuted in federal court arise on Indian Reservations or federal property, where state courts lack jurisdiction and tribal court jurisdiction is usually limited to less serious offenses.

Many rights of criminal defendants in state courts arise under federal law, but federal courts only examine if the state courts applied those federal rights correctly on a direct appeal from the conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, after state court direct appeals have been exhausted, or in a collateral attack on a conviction in a habeas corpus proceeding.

Relationship to federal courts


The relationship between state courts and federal courts is quite complicated. Although the United States Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
 and federal laws override state laws where there is a conflict between federal and state law, state courts are not subordinate to federal courts. Rather, they are two parallel sets of courts with different often overlapping jurisdiction.

State courts systems always contain some courts of "general jurisdiction." All disputes which are capable of being brought in courts, arising under either state or federal law may be brought in one of the state courts, except in a few narrow case where federal law specifically limits jurisidiction exclusively to the federal courts. Some of the most common cases exclusively in federal jurisdiction are suits between state governments, suits involving ambassadors, certain intellectual property cases, federal criminal cases, bankruptcies and most securities fraud class actions. There are also a handful of federal laws under which lawsuits can be pursued only in state court, such as those arising under the federal "junk fax" law.. Unlike state courts, federal courts are courts of "limited jurisdiction", that can only hear the types of cases specified in the Constitution and federal statutes (primarily federal crimes, cases arising under federal law and cases involving a diversity of citizenship between the parties).

Federal courts must defer to state courts in their the interpretation of state laws, and sometimes "certify" a question of state law to a state court in a case pending before it, if state law is unsettled on the issue.

The U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
 can review final decision of state courts, after a party exhausts all remedies up to a request for relief from the state's highest appellate court, if the justices believe that the case involves a question of constitutional law
Constitutional law

Constitutional law is the study of foundational or basic laws of nation states and other political organizations.Constitutions are the framework for government and may limit or define the authority and procedure of political bodies to execute new laws and regulations....
 or federal law. On average, in an average sized state, one or two decisions every year or two from a state's court system are reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Most U.S. Supreme Court review of state court decisions involves review of the constitutional rights of state court criminal defendants. Another method of federal court review of state court judgments in criminal cases is the federal writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
, in which a federal court is asked to review whether a defendant has been given due process
Due process

Due process is the principle that the government must respect all of the legal rights that are owed to a person according to the law of the land, instead of respecting merely some or most of those legal rights....
 of law. If the federal court finds that the defendant has been denied due process then the defendant must be released or re-tried in the state court. Applications for habeas corpus review are most frequently made in death penalty cases, although the scope of review has been sharply restricted in recent years by Supreme Court decisions and legislation.

Nomenclature

The following table notes the names of the courts in the states and territories of the United States. Listed are the principal courts of first instance (general jurisdiction), the principal intermediate appellate courts, and the courts of final appeal or resort.

In some cases where courts are generally assigned to counties, the number of county-based courts does not exactly match the number of actual counties in the state. This happens when a single court has jurisdiction over more than one county.

(58 counties)
State Court of first instance
(general jurisdiction) 		Intermediate appellate court
Appellate court

An appellate court is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In most jurisdictions, the court system is divided into at least three levels: the trial court, which initially hears cases and reviews evidence and testimony to determine the facts of the case; at least one intermediate appell...
 		 Court of last resort
Supreme court

A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some jurisdictions the highest court within that jurisdiction's court system, whose rulings are not subject to further review by another court....

(State supreme court
State supreme court

In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the U.S. state court system.Generally, the state supreme court is exclusively for hearing appeals of legal issues....
)
Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
 		 (District) Circuit Court
(41 judicial districts) 		Court of Civil Appeals
Court of Criminal Appeals
(-1969: single Court of Appeals) 		Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the U.S. state of Alabama. The court consists of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms....
Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
 		 (District) Superior Court
(4 districts) 		Court of Appeals
Alaska Court of Appeals

The Alaska Court of Appeals is an intermediary court of appeals in the U.S. state of Alaska's Judiciary , created in 1980 by the Alaska Legislature as an additional appellate court to lessen the burden on the Alaska Supreme Court....
 		 Supreme Court
Alaska Supreme Court

The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court in the U.S. state of Alaska's Judiciary . The supreme court is composed of the chief justice and four associate judge, who are all appointed by the governor of Alaska and face judicial retention elections and who choose one of their own members to serve a three-year term as Chief Justice....
Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
 		 (County) Superior Court
(15 counties) 		(Division) Court of Appeals
Arizona Court of Appeals

The Arizona Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the State of Arizona. It is divided into two divisions, with a total of twenty-two judges on the court: sixteen in Division One, based in Phoenix, Arizona, and six in Division Two, based in Tucson, Arizona....
 (2 divisions) 		Supreme Court
Arizona Supreme Court

The Arizona Supreme Court is the supreme court in the U.S. state of Arizona. It consists of a Chief Justice, a Vice Chief Justice, and three Associate Justices....
Arkansas
Arkansas

Arkansas is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River....
 		 Circuit Court
(23 judicial circuits) 		Court of Appeals
Arkansas Court of Appeals

The Arkansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the U.S. state of Arkansas. It was created in 1978 by Amendment 58 of the Arkansas Constitution, which was implemented by Act 208 of the Arkansas General Assembly in 1979....
 		 Supreme Court
Arkansas Supreme Court

The Arkansas Supreme Court is the State supreme court in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Since 1925, it has consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
[[California Courts of Appeal|(District) Court of Appeal]]
(6 appellate districts) 		[[Supreme Court of California|Supreme Court]]
[[Colorado]] District Court
(22 judicial districts) 		[[Colorado Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Colorado Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Connecticut]] Superior Court
(13 judicial districts) 		[[Connecticut Appellate Court|Appellate Court]] [[Connecticut Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(previously: Supreme Court of Errors)
[[Delaware]] [[Delaware Superior Court|Superior Court]]
(previously: Superior Court and Orphans' Court)
[[Delaware Court of Chancery|Court of Chancery]] 		(none) [[Delaware Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(previously: Court of Errors and Appeals)
[[District of Columbia]] [[Superior Court of the District of Columbia|Superior Court]] (none) [[District of Columbia Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]]
(previously: Municipal Court of Appeals)
[[Florida]] [[Florida Circuit Courts|Circuit Court]]
(20 judicial circuits) 		[[Florida District Courts of Appeal|District Court of Appeal]]
(5 districts) 		[[Florida Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Superior Court
(49 judicial circuits) 		[[Georgia Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state)|Supreme Court]]
[[Hawaii]] Circuit Court and Family Court
(4 circuits) 		[[Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals|Intermediate Court of Appeals]] [[Hawaii Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Idaho]] District Court
(7 judicial districts) 		Court of Appeals [[Idaho Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Illinois]] Circuit Court
(23 judicial circuits) 		(District) [[Illinois Appellate Court|Appellate Court]]
(5 districts) 		[[Illinois Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Indiana]] Superior Court (177 divisions),
Circuit Court (90 circuits) 		[[Indiana Court of Appeals|(District) Court of Appeals]]
(5 districts)
(previously: Appellate Court) 		[[Indiana Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Iowa]] District Court
(8 districts) 		[[Iowa Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Iowa Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Kansas]] District Court
(31 districts) 		[[Kansas Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Kansas Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Kentucky]] Circuit Court
(57 circuits) 		[[Kentucky Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Kentucky Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(-1976: Court of Appeals)
[[Louisiana]] District Court
(40 districts) 		(Circuit) Court of Appeal
(5 circuits) 		[[Louisiana Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(-1813: Superior Court)
[[Maine]] [[Maine Superior Court|Superior Court]] (none) [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court|Supreme Judicial Court]]
[[Maryland]] Circuit Court
(8 judicial circuits) 		[[Maryland Court of Special Appeals|Court of Special Appeals]] [[Maryland Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]]
[[Massachusetts]] Superior Court
(14 divisions) 		[[Massachusetts Appeals Court|Appeals Court]] [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court|Supreme Judicial Court]]
[[Michigan]] Circuit Court
(57 circuits)
Court of Claims 		[[Michigan Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Michigan Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Minnesota]] [[Minnesota District Courts|District Court]]
(10 districts) 		[[Minnesota Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Minnesota Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Mississippi]] District Circuit Court
(22 districts) 		[[Mississippi Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Mississippi Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Missouri]] [[Missouri Circuit Courts|Circuit Court]]
(45 circuits) 		[[Missouri Court of Appeals|(District) Court of Appeals]]
(3 districts) 		[[Missouri Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Montana]] District Court
(22 judicial districts) 		(none) [[Montana Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Nebraska]] District Court
(12 districts) 		[[Nebraska Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Nebraska Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Nevada]] [[Nevada District Courts|District Court]]
(9 districts) 		(none) [[Nevada Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[New Hampshire]] [[New Hampshire Superior Court|Superior Court]] (none) [[New Hampshire Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[New Jersey]] (Vicinage) [[New Jersey Superior Court|Superior Court]]
(15 vicinages), has separate law & equity divisions 		Superior Court, Appellate Division
(previously: Court of Chancery,
Supreme Court,
and Prerogative Court) 		[[New Jersey Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(previously: [[New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals|Court of Errors and Appeals]])
[[New Mexico]] District Court
(13 judicial districts) 		[[New Mexico Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[New Mexico Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[New York]] [[New York Supreme Court|(District) Supreme Court]]
(12 judicial districts)
County Court
(57 counties) 		Supreme Court, Appellate Term
(3 judicial departments)
[[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division|Supreme Court, Appellate Division]]
(4 departments) 		[[New York Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]]
(-1848: Court for the correction of Errors,
Supreme Court of Judicature,
and Court of Chancery)
[[North Carolina]] (District) Superior Court
(46 districts) 		[[North Carolina Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[North Carolina Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[North Dakota]] District Court
(7 judicial districts) 		(none) [[North Dakota Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Ohio]] (County) Court of Common Pleas
(88 counties) 		[[Ohio District Courts of Appeal|(District) Court of Appeals]]
(12 districts) 		[[Ohio Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Oklahoma]] [[Government of Oklahoma#The District Courts|District Court]]
(26 judicial districts with 77 district courts) 		[[Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals|Court of Civil Appeals]] [[Oklahoma Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals|Court of Criminal Appeals]]
(1907-1959: Criminal Court of Appeals)
[[Oregon]] [[Oregon circuit courts|(District) Circuit Court]]
(36 courts administratively divided between 27 judicial districts) 		[[Oregon Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Oregon Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Pennsylvania]] District Court of Common Pleas
(60 judicial districts) 		[[Superior Court of Pennsylvania|(District) Superior Court]]
(3 districts)
[[Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania|Commonwealth Court]] 		[[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania|Supreme Court]]
[[Rhode Island]] Superior Court (none) [[Rhode Island Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[South Carolina]] Circuit Court
(16 circuits) 		[[South Carolina Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[South Carolina Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[South Dakota]] Circuit Court
(7 circuits) 		(none) [[South Dakota Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Tennessee]] (District) Circuit Court
(31 judicial districts)
(District) Criminal Court
(31 judicial districts)
(District) Chancery Court
(31 judicial districts) 		[[Tennessee Court of Appeals|(Grand Division) Court of Appeals]]
(3 grand divisions)
[[Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals|(Grand Division) Court of Criminal Appeals]]
(3 grand divisions) 		[[Tennessee Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Texas]] District Court
(420 districts) 		[[Texas Courts of Appeals|(District) Court of Appeals]]
(14 districts) 		[[Texas Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] (civil cases);
[[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals|Court of Criminal Appeals]]
[[Utah]] District Court
(8 districts) 		[[Utah Court of Appeals|Court of Appeals]] [[Utah Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Vermont]] [[Vermont court system|Superior Court
District Court
Family Court]] 		(none) [[Vermont Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Virginia]] Circuit Court
(120 courts divided among 31 judicial circuits) 		[[Court of Appeals of Virginia|Court of Appeals]] [[Virginia Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
(previously: Supreme Court of Appeals)
[[Washington]] (County) Superior Court
(39 counties) 		[[Washington Court of Appeals|(Division) Court of Appeals]]
(3 divisions) 		[[Washington Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[West Virginia]] Circuit Court
(31 judicial circuits) 		(none) [[West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals|Supreme Court of Appeals]]
[[Wisconsin]] (District) Circuit Court
(10 judicial administrative districts) 		[[Wisconsin Court of Appeals|(District) Court of Appeals]]
(4 districts) 		[[Wisconsin Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Wyoming]] District Court
(9 districts) 		(none) [[Wyoming Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[American Samoa]] [[High Court of American Samoa|High Court, Trial Division]] (none) [[High Court of American Samoa|High Court, Appellate Division]]
[[Guam]] Superior Court (none) [[Supreme Court of Guam|Supreme Court]]
[[Northern Mariana Islands]] Superior Court (none) [[Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]
[[Puerto Rico]] Court of First Instance
Superior Division (13)
Municipal Division (13) 		Circuit Court of Appeals [[Supreme Court of Puerto Rico|Supreme Court]]
[[U.S. Virgin Islands]] [[United States Virgin Islands Superior Court|Superior Court]]
(2 divisions) 		[[United States Virgin Islands Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit|Third Circuit Court of Appeals]] (federal, temporary)


See also

  • Courts of the United States
    Courts of the United States

    Court of law of the United States include both the United States federal courts, comprising the judicial branch of the federal government of the United States and State court of the individual U.S....


External links and references

  • , including *
  • web directory
    Web directory

    A web directory or link directory is a directory on the World Wide Web. It specializes in hyperlink to other web sites and Categorization those links....
    , an ad-supported website