State courts
lower state courts
justice of the peace
bottom of the state court system
Many of them have been abolished.
general trial court
courts of record
click to edit
click to edit
appellate courts
Found primarily in small towns or rural areas.
dates back to medieval England
magistrate courts or police courts
click to edit
State supreme court
often called court of appeals
appointed by the governor in a few states
but in most states they are popularly elected
serve a term of 6 or 8 years
ease the load of the state's highest court
hear cases from lower courts
do not hold trials
list to briefs
briefs -- brief summaries of court cases ❎ ⭐
look to see how a lower court handled a court case
the court of last resort
usually 5 or 7 justices
appointed by the governor in at least half of the states