Data Explorer: Institutional Structure of Courts | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

Structure of Courts

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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.

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	State	Statute	Description/Statute Name	Statutory language	Court/legal body	Function
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Const. art. V, § 4	Courts of limited jurisdiction	Courts of limited jurisdiction consist of all courts created by the Legislature having limited original jurisdiction.	Courts of limited jurisdiction	Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Const. art. V, § 5	Jurisdiction of the courts	The circuit courts have original jurisdiction in all cases except as to any limited original jurisdiction granted to other courts by the Legislature. The circuit courts and judges thereof have + See more the power to issue, hear and determine all original and remedial writs. The circuit courts have such appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by law.	Circuit Courts	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Const. art. V, § 5	Jurisdiction of the courts	The Supreme Court shall have such appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by the Legislature, and the Supreme Court or any justice thereof may issue any original or remedial writ + See more which shall then be heard and determined by that court. The Governor has authority to require opinions of the Supreme Court upon important questions of law involved in the exercise of his executive power and upon solemn occasions.	Supreme Court	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 16-12A-2.2	Pursuant to the provisions of S.D. Const., Art. V, § 4, there is hereby established within each judicial circuit a magistrate court	Pursuant to the provisions of S.D. Const., Art. V, § 4, there is hereby established within each judicial circuit a magistrate court.	Magistrat Courts	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Const. ch. 2 § 4	Judiciary powers	The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a unified judicial system which shall be composed of a Supreme Court, a Superior Court, and such other subordinate courts + See more as the General Assembly may from time to time ordain and establish.	State courts	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Const. ch. 2 § 30	Supreme court jurisdiction	The Supreme Court shall exercise appellate jurisdiction in all cases, criminal and civil, under such terms and conditions as it shall specify in rules not inconsistent with law. The Supreme + See more Court shall have original jurisdiction only as provided by law, but it shall have the power to issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of its appellate jurisdiction. The Supreme Court shall have administrative control of all the courts of the state, and disciplinary authority concerning all judicial officers and attorneys at law in the State.	Supreme Court	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Const. ch. 2 § 31	Lower courts jurisdiction	All other courts of this State shall have original and appellate jurisdiction as provided by law. All courts except the Supreme Court may be divided into geographical and functional divisions + See more as provided by law or by judicial rules adopted by the Supreme Court not inconsistent with law. The jurisdiction of geographical and functional divisions shall be as provided by law or by judicial rules not inconsistent with law. The courts of this state may exercise equity jurisdiction as well as law jurisdiction in civil proceedings as may be provided by law or by judicial rules not inconsistent with law.	Lower courts	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 216-6-12	Original criminal jurisdiction of circuit court	The circuit court has exclusive original jurisdiction to try and determine all cases of felony, and original jurisdiction concurrent with courts of limited jurisdiction as provided by law to try + See more and determine all cases of misdemeanor and actions or proceedings for violation of any ordinance, bylaw, or other police regulation of political subdivisions.	Circuit Court	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 216-12B-11	Jurisdiction--Trial of minor criminal cases	A magistrate court with a magistrate judge presiding has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts to try and determine all cases of misdemeanor and actions or proceedings for violation of + See more any ordinance, bylaw, or other police regulation of a political subdivision.	Magistrate Court	Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 1	Unified court system established	The Judiciary shall be a unified court system under the administrative control of the Supreme Court. It shall consist of an appellate division, which shall be the Supreme Court, and + See more a trial division, which shall consist of a trial court of general jurisdiction to be known as the Superior Court, and a Judicial Bureau.	State courts	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 30	Superior Court	(a)(1) A Superior Court having statewide jurisdiction is created. The Superior Court shall have the following divisions: (B) A Criminal Division, which shall be a court of record and have + See more jurisdiction over the matters described in section 32 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure shall apply to criminal matters in the Criminal Division, and the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply to civil matters in the Criminal Division.	Superior Court	Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 2	Supreme Court established; jurisdiction	(a) The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from judgments, rulings, and orders of the Superior Court, administrative agencies, boards, commissions, and officers unless otherwise provided by law.+ See more /> (b) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction, concurrent with the Superior Court, of proceedings in certiorari, mandamus, prohibition, and quo warranto and shall have jurisdiction to issue all writs, processes, and orders that may be necessary to the furtherance of justice and the regular execution of the law.	Supreme Court	Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 32	Jurisdiction; Criminal Division	(a) The Criminal Division shall have jurisdiction to try, render judgment, and pass sentence in prosecutions for felonies and misdemeanors. (b) The Criminal Division shall have jurisdiction to try and + See more finally determine prosecutions for violations of bylaws or ordinances of a village, town, or city, except as otherwise provided.	Supreme Court	Jurisdiction of the courts

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