[wd_asp id=1]
In this lesson, you will learn the court types, the state court structure, and what gives them authority. You will also learn what types of cases state courts handle.
State courts in the U.S.
- Multiple court system
- State court structure
- Sources of authority
- Types of cases heard
Transcript
Like the federal system, state courts are divided into multiple units, the state supreme court, appeals courts, trial courts, and other courts that handle specific types of cases.
Each state system has its own hierarchy that ends with the state supreme court.
Unlike the federal system, there is no uniformity. A superior court in one state may be the highest trial court. In another state, it might be equivalent to magistrate or traffic court. States have special courts like family court, while others do not. Know your jurisdiction.
Written laws like the state rules of civil procedure, state statutes, codes and rules, and the state constitution gives state courts authority to hear and rule on certain cases. Through cases, the courts interpret what written laws mean.
Though federal courts are numerous, they don\’t do nearly the volume of breadth of cases that state courts manage. State courts handle foreclosures, evictions, divorces, cases about custody, traffic, wills, debt collection, slip and falls, and on and on. Deciding which state court to bring your case is more complex than deciding which federal court to bring it. But it too is manageable as long as you become familiar with the rules of civil procedure in your state.