6.5.3: State Courts
- Page ID
- 69536
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Each state has its own independent judicial system. State courts handle more than 90 percent of all criminal prosecutions in the United States. In this section, we examine the structure of state courts as these are the courts most people will come into contact with some capacity (United States Courts, n.d.).
Although state court systems vary, there are some common features. Every state has one or more levels of trial courts and at least one appellate court. Most state courts have both courts of general jurisdiction, which conduct felony and major misdemeanor trials, and courts of limited jurisdiction, which conduct violations, infractions, and minor misdemeanor trials. All states have a court of last resort, generally referred to as the state Supreme Court. The court of last resort refers to the highest court in a state’s judicial system, which is typically referred to as the state Supreme Court. This court has the final say on all matters of state law and is responsible for interpreting the state’s constitution. Its decisions are considered binding on all lower courts within that state. The term is also used to describe the U.S. Supreme Court, which serves as the highest court in the federal judicial system, making it the court of last resort for all matters of federal law (Cornell Law School, n.d.).
Understanding policing, law enforcement and the court system and how they function can help shape your understanding of criminal justice policies – why and how they are created. (More on courts and process in the next section)