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Structure of Courts
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Function
Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
88 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 2.08.010 | Original jurisdiction |
The superior court shall have original jurisdiction in all cases in equity, and in all cases at law which involve the title or possession of real property, or the legality of any tax, impost, assessment, toll or municipal fine, and in all other cases in which the demand or the value of the property in controversy amounts to three hundred dollars, and in all criminal cases amounting to felony, and in all cases of misdemeanor not otherwise provided for by law; of actions of forcible entry and detainer; of proceedings in insolvency; of actions to prevent or abate a nuisance; of all matters of probate, of divorce and for annulment of marriage, and for such special cases and proceedings as are not otherwise provided for; and shall also have original jurisdiction in all cases and of all proceedings in which jurisdiction shall not have been by law vested exclusively in some other court, and shall have the power of naturalization and to issue papers therefor. Said courts and their judges shall have power to issue writs of mandamus, quo warrantor, review, certiorari, prohibition and writs of habeas corpus on petition by or on behalf of any person in actual custody in their respective counties. Injunctions and writs of prohibition and of habeas corpus may be issued on legal holidays and nonjudicial days.
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Superior Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 2.08.020 | Appellate jurisdiction |
The superior courts shall have such appellate jurisdiction in cases arising in courts of limited jurisdiction in their respective counties as may be prescribed by law. |
Superior Courts appellate jurisdiction | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 2.30.010(1) | Findings--Scope of therapeutic court programs |
The legislature finds that judges in the trial courts throughout the state effectively utilize what are known as therapeutic courts to remove a defendant's or respondent's case from the criminal and civil court traditional trial track and allow those defendants or respondents the opportunity to obtain treatment services to address particular issues that may have contributed to the conduct that led to their arrest or other issues before the court. Trial courts have proved adept at creative approaches in fashioning a wide variety of therapeutic courts addressing the spectrum of social issues that can contribute to criminal activity and engagement with the child welfare system.
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Therapeutic Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.66.060 | Criminal jurisdiction |
The district court shall have jurisdiction: (1) Concurrent with the superior court of all misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors committed in their respective counties and of all violations of city ordinances. It shall in no event impose a greater punishment than a fine of five thousand dollars, or imprisonment for one year in the county or city jail as the case may be, or both such fine and imprisonment, unless otherwise expressly provided by statute. It may suspend and revoke vehicle operators' licenses in the cases provided by law; (2) to sit as a committing magistrate and conduct preliminary hearings in cases provided by law; (3) concurrent with the superior court of a proceeding to keep the peace in their respective counties; (4) concurrent with the superior court of all violations under Title 77 RCW; (5) to hear and determine traffic infractions under chapter 46.63 RCW; and (6) to take recognizance, approve bail, and arraign defendants held within its jurisdiction on warrants issued by other courts of limited jurisdiction when those courts are participating in the program established under RCW 2.56.160.
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District Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.50.010 | Municipal court authorized in cities of four hundred thousand or less |
Any city or town with a population of four hundred thousand or less may by ordinance provide for an inferior court to be known and designated as a municipal court, which shall be entitled The Municipal Court of .......... (insert name of city or town), hereinafter designated and referred to as municipal court, which court shall have jurisdiction and shall exercise all powers by this chapter declared to be vested in the municipal court, together with such other powers and jurisdiction as are generally conferred upon such court in this state either by common law or by express statute.
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Municipal Court | Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.50.020 | Jurisdiction |
The municipal court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over traffic infractions arising under city ordinances and exclusive original criminal jurisdiction of all violations of city ordinances duly adopted by the city and shall have original jurisdiction of all other actions brought to enforce or recover license penalties or forfeitures declared or given by such ordinances or by state statutes. A hosting jurisdiction shall have exclusive original criminal and other jurisdiction as described in this section for all matters filed by a contracting city. The municipal court shall also have the jurisdiction as conferred by statute. The municipal court is empowered to forfeit cash bail or bail bonds and issue execution thereon; and in general to hear and determine all causes, civil or criminal, including traffic infractions, arising under such ordinances and to pronounce judgment in accordance therewith. A municipal court participating in the program established by the administrative office of the courts pursuant to RCW 2.56.160 shall have jurisdiction to take recognizance, approve bail, and arraign defendants held within its jurisdiction on warrants issued by any court of limited jurisdiction participating in the program.
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Municipal Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 2.06.010 | Court of appeals established--Definitions |
There is hereby established a court of appeals as a court of record. |
Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 3 | Supreme court jurisdiction |
(1) The supreme court shall have superintending and administrative authority over all courts. (2) The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction over all courts and may hear original actions and proceedings. + See moreThe supreme court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction. (3) The supreme court may review judgments and orders of the court of appeals, may remove cases from the court of appeals and may accept cases on certification by the court of appeals.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 5 | Court of appeals jurisdiction |
(1) The legislature shall by law combine the judicial circuits of the state into one or more districts for the court of appeals and shall designate in each district the + See morelocations where the appeals court shall sit for the convenience of litigants. (2) For each district of the appeals court there shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the district one or more appeals judges as prescribed by law, who shall sit as prescribed by law. Appeals judges shall be elected for 6-year terms and shall reside in the district from which elected. No alteration of district or circuit boundaries shall have the effect of removing an appeals judge from office during the judge's term. In case of an increase in the number of appeals judges, the first judge or judges shall be elected for full terms unless the legislature prescribes a shorter initial term for staggering of terms. (3) The appeals court shall have such appellate jurisdiction in the district, including jurisdiction to review administrative proceedings, as the legislature may provide by law, but shall have no original jurisdiction other than by prerogative writ. The appeals court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction and shall have supervisory authority over all actions and proceedings in the courts in the district.
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Courts of Appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 8 | Circuit court jurisdiction |
Except as otherwise provided by law, the circuit court shall have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal within this state and such appellate jurisdiction in the circuit as + See morethe legislature may prescribe by law. The circuit court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction. (emphasis added).
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Circuit Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 14 | Municipal court |
The legislature by law may authorize each city, village and town to establish a municipal court. All municipal courts shall have uniform jurisdiction limited to actions and proceedings arising under + See moreordinances of the municipality in which established. Judges of municipal courts may receive such compensation as provided by the municipality in which established, but may not receive fees of office.
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Municipal Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § 938.02(2m) | Juvenile court |
[For purposes of Wis. Stat. § 938, which governs the criminal juvenile system] Court, when used without further qualification, means the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and + See morech. 48 or, when used with reference to a juvenile who is subject to s. 938.183, a court of criminal jurisdiction or, when used with reference to a juvenile who is subject to s. 938.17(2), a municipal court.
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Juvenile Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 4 | Supreme court: elections, chief justice, court system administration |
(1) The supreme court shall have 7 members who shall be known as justices of the supreme court. Justices shall be elected for 10-year terms of office commencing with the + See moreAugust 1 next succeeding the election. Only one justice may be elected in any year. Any 4 justices shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of the court's business. (2) The chief justice of the supreme court shall be elected for a term of 2 years by a majority of the justices then serving on the court. The justice so designated as chief justice may, irrevocably, decline to serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as a justice of the supreme court. (3) The chief justice of the supreme court shall be the administrative head of the judicial system and shall exercise this administrative authority pursuant to procedures adopted by the supreme court. The chief justice may assign any judge of a court of record to aid in the proper disposition of judicial business in any court of record except the supreme court.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Outgamie Cty.Ct.R. Sec. 5 | Family court rules |
1. Family Court Matters: Family Court matters will consist of all actions affecting the family as enumerated in Section 767.02 of the Wisconsin Statutes. 2. Assignment of Judge to Family + See moreCourt: All Family Court matters except as indicated below will be heard by the Circuit Court assigned in accordance with the Circuit Court workload distribution rules. 3. Caption on Family Court Matters: All matters filed in Family Court shall be captioned: State of Wisconsin--Family Court--Outagamie County.
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Family Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Const. Art. V, Sec. 2 | Supreme court generally; appellate jurisdiction |
The supreme court shall have general appellate jurisdiction, co-extensive with the state, in both civil and criminal causes, and shall have a general superintending control over all inferior courts, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Const. Art. V, Sec. 10 | District courts generally; jurisdiction |
The district court shall have original jurisdiction of all causes both at law and in equity and in all criminal cases, of all matters of probate and insolvency and of such special cases and proceedings as are not otherwise provided for. The district court shall also have original jurisdiction in all cases and of all proceedings in which jurisdiction shall not have been by law vested exclusively in some other court; and said court shall have the power of naturalization and to issue papers therefor. They shall have such appellate jurisdiction in cases arising in justices' and other inferior courts in their respective counties as may be prescribed by law. Said courts and their judges shall have power to issue writs of mandamus, quo warranto, review, certiorari, prohibition, injunction and writs of habeas corpus, on petition by or on behalf of any person in actual custody in their respective districts.
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District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 5-3-101 | Judicial districts enumerated; terms of court |
(a) The state of Wyoming is divided into judicial districts as follows: (i) The county of Laramie is the first judicial district; (ii) The counties of Albany and Carbon are the second judicial district; (iii) The counties of Sweetwater, Lincoln and Uinta are the third judicial district;
(iv) The counties of Johnson and Sheridan are the fourth judicial district; (v) The counties of Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie are the fifth judicial district; (vi) The counties of Campbell, Crook and Weston are the sixth judicial district; (vii) Natrona county is the seventh judicial district; (viii) The counties of Converse, Platte, Goshen and Niobrara are the eighth judicial district; (ix) The counties of Fremont, Teton and Sublette are the ninth judicial district. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there shall be one (1) continuous term of court for the district courts of the state. The continuous term of court shall in no way affect the power of a court to take action in any cause or matter. |
District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 5-6-101 | Created and established |
There is hereby created and established in each of the incorporated cities or towns in the state of Wyoming, whether incorporated or existing under a special charter or a general act, and whether now in existence or hereafter incorporated under the laws of the state, a municipal court for the trial of all offenses arising under ordinances of said incorporated city or town, as the case may be.
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Municipal court | Creation of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 5-8-102 | Jurisdiction |
(a) The juvenile court has general jurisdiction in all matters and proceedings commenced therein or transferred to it by order of the district court concerning: (i) Any minor alleged to be delinquent as defined in W.S. 14 6 201; (ii) Any minor alleged to have committed a delinquent act before attaining the age of majority; (iii) Any minor alleged to be neglected as defined in W.S. 14-3-402; (iv) Any minor alleged to be in need of supervision as defined in W.S. 14 6 402; (v) The parents, guardian or custodian of any minor alleged to be delinquent, in need of supervision or neglected, and all persons living in the household with the minor; and (vi) Procedures governing abortions performed upon minors as provided under W.S. 35 6 118. For proceedings under this paragraph, "minor" shall mean as defined in W.S. 35 6 101(a)(x).
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Juvenile Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 5-9-102 | Circuit court established; funding |
(a) Pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of article 5 of the Wyoming Constitution, a circuit court is hereby established for each judicial district of the state of Wyoming enumerated in W.S. 5 3 101, and the boundaries of each circuit court shall be the same as those of each judicial district enumerated therein. Except as otherwise provided in this act, each county within the circuit shall receive the services of the circuit court. (b) The judicial salaries, salaries of the clerical staff, supplies, operating costs, jury expenses and other expenses of the circuit court shall be paid by the state.
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Circuit Court | Creation of the courts |