The State Court System

1. The State Court Systems

There are 50 states in the United States of America, with each of them having its own constitution and judicial system. State courts are established through each state’s own constitution and laws. In other words, each state has its own state court system.

A state court interprets state laws and hears cases involving its own state laws. Generally, it has general jurisdiction within its territory, meaning that it has the authority to hear cases concerning events happening in the state or involving citizens of its own state.

2. Jurisdiction of the State Courts

The main differences between federal courts and state courts lie in their jurisdiction. Jurisdiction defines what kind of cases a court is authorized to hear. A general rule is that federal courts hear federal law cases and state courts hear state law cases.

As we mentioned in our article “The federal court system,” the federal courts have limited jurisdiction and can only hear certain types of cases specified in the Constitution. The state courts, however, have broad jurisdiction and can hear most of the cases except for those involving certain federal laws.

(1) What types of cases do state courts not have authority to hear?

State courts do not have jurisdiction over cases that involve:

(2) What types of cases can state courts hear?
State courts can oversee disputes brought under state law, including:

o Contracts
o Landlord-tenant disputes
o Traffic cases
o Will and probate disputes
o Family issues (e.g divorce, adoption, delinquency, and neglect) o Crimes violating state law

To know more about the differences between federal courts and state courts, check out ‘ Overview of the United States Court System.’

(3)Can state law cases be brought to federal courts?

A state law case can be brought to federal courts if (1) the state law involved in the case violates the Constitution, (2) the case involves diversity of citizenship, or (3) the conduct involved in the case is illegal under both state and federal laws.

Let’s explore this in greater detail.

a. The state law involved in the case violates the Constitution

In the case of Almy v. California, a state law case was brought to the federal court since it violated the Constitution.

In Almy v. California, a California stamp tax was imposed on bills of lading for gold or silver transported from California to any place outside the state. This statute of California imposing a stamp duty was held to be a tax on exports, which violated the provision of the Constitution declaring that “no tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State.”

b. The case involves diversity of citizenship

Diversity of citizenship exists in a case where opposing parties involved in a lawsuit are citizens of different states or countries. Cases involving diversity of citizenship can be brought to federal courts if the amount of money involved exceeds $750,000.

c. The conduct involved in the case is illegal under both state and federal laws.

Many conducts, such as discrimination in the workplace or even kidnapping, are crimes under both federal and state law. These types of cases can be brought to either federal or state court.

To know more about conducts that are illegal under both federal and state law, check out ‘State Crimes vs. Federal Crimes.’

(4) Can a state court require me to appear in court if I am not a citizen of that state?

A court must have special connection with an individual for jurisdictional purposes in order to require the individual to appear in court. Personal jurisdiction determines if a court has authority over a party to require that party to appear in court.

In general, a state court has personal jurisdiction over a defendant when one of the conditions below is met:

•  If the defendant resides within the state.
•  If the defendant does business within the state.
•  If the defendant owns property within the state.
• If there is some other significant connection to the state, such as the parties involved are in an automobile accident in the state.

(5) What is a long-arm statute?

A long-arm statute is a statute that enables a state to pull a person from one state to another state to answer a lawsuit.

(6) What are the requirements for a long-arm statute to be exercised?

Long-arm statutes vary from state to state. The statutes normally detail the minimum types of contact a state must have with an individual in order to exercise jurisdiction over that individual.

In International Shoe Co. v. Washington, the Supreme Court held that (1) systematic and continuous activity within the jurisdiction, and (2) a cause of action arising from that activity, both need to exist in order for a state court to assert a long-arm statute.

In Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court, the Supreme Court further clarified that the courts need to consider the following when exercising long-arm statutes:

o The burden on the defendant;
o The interests of the state;
o The plaintiff’s interest in having the forum state exercise jurisdiction; o Overall efficiencies of having the forum state exercise jurisdiction.

3. The structure of the state judicial system in the U.S..

(1) What are the basic 3 layers of the court system?

In the United States, a state is “free to organize its courts as it sees fit,” and accordingly, each state has its unique court system. That being said, most state courts follow a model similar to the federal courts.

A typical state’s court system is organized into three tiers. The bottom tier is a geographically based set of state trial courts. The next tier is the state courts of appeals, and the state’s court system is capped by the state supreme court as the last level of appeal.

4. The state trial courts

(1) What are the state trial courts?
In most state trial courts, courts with general original jurisdictions are referred to as district courts. They are also known by some states as superior courts, circuit courts, or courts of common pleas.

The state trial courts can be called: 1. District courts

2. Circuit courts
3. Superior courts
4. Courts of common pleas

(2) How does the state trial courts work in the state judicial system?

a. Keep records: state trial courts are courts of record in the state system, meaning state trial courts keep exact account of what happened at trial, including the evidence, a transcript of what was said, and the decision of the court. These records will be used if the decision of the court is appealed.

b. Determine facts: state trial courts have original jurisdiction over cases before them, indicating that they have the authority to hear and decide a case before any appellate review. As a result, they have the right to determine the facts in the case.

The fact determination process is often conducted using a jury. If a jury is not requested by any party involved in the case, the judge will determine the facts instead.

c. Reach a verdict: Once the fact has been determined, the judge will select and apply the law to the facts to reach a decision.

5. The state courts of appeals

(1 )How do state courts of appeals work in the state judicial system?

In most cases, people are entitled to a trial and an appeal and the state court of appeals hears those appeals from the state trial courts. A state court of appeals evaluates the record of the case appealed from a state trial court to check if the lower court used the wrong law to conduct and resolve the case.

(2) Can more evidence be submitted at the state courts of appeals?

No evidence can be submitted nor any witnesses can be summoned at this level.

(3) What judgements may the state courts of appeals make?

After the judges at the state courts of appeals review the correctness of the application of the law, there may be three scenarios:
a. Affirm: the decision of the lower court will be upheld if the correct law was used.
b. Reverse: the state courts of appeals may apply the correct law themselves to reach a new outcome.

c. Remand: the case may be sent back down for a new trial if the appellate court concludes that the application of the incorrect law interfered with the proper determination of the facts of the case.

6. The state supreme courts

All 50 states within the United States and the District of Columbia have their own supreme court, or court of last resort.

(1) What cases can the state supreme courts hear?

Being the highest court in a state, a state supreme court possesses appellate jurisdiction over all the cases involving state law. However, the state supreme court usually does not have the obligation to hear just any case. Only the cases that involve the most vital and complex legal issues will be heard by the state supreme court.

In addition to the appellate jurisdiction, the state supreme courts also have original jurisdiction over most state impeachment cases.

(2) Are the decisions of the state supreme court final?

Although the rulings of the state supreme court on cases concerning state law is final, a case can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court if the U.S. Constitution or any other federal questions of law are involved.

7. State Courts with Specialized Jurisdictions

In most states, the courts below the main state trial court level are courts with specialized jurisdictions. These courts with specialized jurisdictions generally include:

o Associate circuit courts (county courts) o Municipal courts
o Small claim courts
o Juvenile courts

o Probate courts

(1) What are associate circuit courts (county courts)?

In many states, there are an additional layer of courts below the circuit courts (district courts or any other courts with general original jurisdiction). Generally, associate circuit courts are not courts of record, therefore appeals from their decisions can sometimes be tried on the record at a state trial court on the record.

Associate circuit courts hear:
o Minor criminal cases

o State traffic offenses

o Lawsuits in which relatively small amounts are involved (usually no more than $25000)

(2) What are city or municipal courts?

Within a city or municipality, there are specialized courts called city or municipal courts to administer their ordinances. The verdict of a city or municipal court can be appealed to the state trial court level, if necessary.

(3) What are small claims courts?

Small claims courts are courts that handle disputes involving small amounts of money, generally less than $2,500. In small claims courts, attorneys and juries are typically not required. The outcome of a small claims court can be appealed to a state trial court.

(4) What are juvenile courts?

A juvenile court is a court with special authority to hear and adjudicate cases regarding crimes committed by juveniles (those over 13 and under 18 years of age in most states).

Juveniles are treated differently from legal adults when committing the same crime since society generally believes that children should not be held to the responsibility as adults. Therefore, there is an emphasis on rehabilitation, as opposed to punishment. However, juvenile courts have broad discretion in determining what appropriate means should be adopted when adjudicating a case. Nonetheless, juvenile cases brought to juvenile courts are not made open to the public.

For some serious cases, such as murder, the juvenile may be tried and punished as an legal adult. Appeals from cases in juvenile courts are directed to the state trial court.

(5) What are probate courts?

Probate courts are the courts that handle cases regarding probate and administration of estates according to the decedents’ will and appropriate laws.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below!