A Dual Court System

 Administer wills and estates

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Juveniles still have constitutional rights
Juveniles have no right to jury or bail
Rehabilitation not punishment
Can be tried as an adult if serious offense

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Divided into traffic and criminal (city or municipal)
Violate an ordinance
$2,500 or less (small claims)
Attorney not needed
Judge hears the case without jury or formal rules of evidence

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Hear minor criminal, state traffic offenses, and lawsuit below $25,000
Not court of records

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Original jurisdiction
Most states have 1 trial court for each county
All cases involving major crime and large amounts of money
Determine the facts and then apply the law
Usually works with a jury
Can hear appeals from a lower court or retry case to create a proper record

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Hears appeals from the state trial court
Reviewed by a panel (3) of judges
No new evidence
Can appeal if:
 Believe that they did not have a fair trial
 Judge in the lower court did not apply the law correctly

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Hear appeals on questions of the law, not facts
Attorney’s may give oral arguments and study original documents
If the incorrect law interfered with applying the facts of the case can order a retrial

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46 states call their highest court the Supreme
Court
Most instances these courts make the final decision
Only decide whether the law was applied correctly
Most state supreme courts select what cases they want to hear
Original jurisdiction over state impeachment cases
File in timely manner and proper form