The courts

Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, i.e. it deals with certain kinds of cases. Some courts hear only criminal cases. Other courts are for civil cases, in which two people disagree over something. Cases are first heard in trial courts. The person accused in a criminal trial, and both sides involved in a civil trial, have the right to appeal against the court's decision, and if they do the case goes to a court of appeals.

Some trial courts have limited jurisdiction. Many states, for example, have family courts where people get divorced, and small claims courts which hear cases involving small sums of money. States have trial courts of general jurisdiction which can hear a wider range of cases. These are often called courts of common pleas. State courts of appeals are called superior courts or district courts, and most states have a supreme court. This is the highest court in the state and hears only the most serious appeals.

States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences, i.e. against federal law. Crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved, e.g. if cars are stolen in one state and then sold in another.

The highest court is the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, which can hear almost any case on appeal. In fact, it hears only those cases that involve an important principle. When the Supreme Court decides such a case, it sets a precedent which lower courts will use to decide similar cases.