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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
61 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 165(1),(3) | District court jurisdiction |
1. Crimes; Under One Year Imprisonment. The District Court has jurisdiction and, except as provided in Title 29-A, section 2602, concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court of all crimes, including violation of any statute or a bylaw of a town, village corporation or local health officer and breach of the peace, for which the maximum term of imprisonment to which the defendant may be sentenced upon conviction of that crime is less than one year.
3. Crimes; One Year or More Imprisonment. The District Court has, concurrent with the Superior Court, original jurisdiction to receive pleas of guilty in criminal cases, other than murder, in which: A. The maximum term of imprisonment to which the defendant may be sentenced upon conviction of that crime is one year or more; B. The defendant has in writing waived the defendant's right to indictment by grand jury and the defendant's right to a jury trial; and C. The defendant has indicated the defendant's intention to enter a plea of guilty to the charges pending against the defendant. When exercising such jurisdiction, the District Court possesses all of the powers of the Superior Court. The District Court shall exercise that jurisdiction in the manner that the Supreme Judicial Court by rule provides. Any person sentenced under this subsection is entitled to the rights provided by Title 15, chapter 306-A. |
District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 8 | Power to prescribe general rules |
The Supreme Judicial Court has the power to prescribe, by general rules, for the Probate, District and Superior Courts of Maine, the forms of process, writs, pleadings and motions and the practice and procedure in civil actions at law. Said rules may neither abridge, enlarge nor modify the substantive rights of any litigant. They take effect on such date not less than 6 months after their promulgation as the Supreme Judicial Court may fix. After their promulgation the Supreme Judicial Court may repeal, amend, modify or add to them from time to time with or without a waiting period. After the effective date of said rules as promulgated or amended, all laws in conflict therewith are of no further force or effect.
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Supreme Judicial Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 421 | Establishment |
The Judicial Department may establish alcohol and drug treatment programs in the Superior Courts and District Courts and may adopt administrative orders and court rules to govern the practice, procedure and administration of these programs. Alcohol and drug treatment programs must include local judges and must be community based and operated separately from juvenile drug courts.
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Alcohol and drug treatment court | Creation of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 431 | Mental health treatment courts |
The Judicial Department may seek and receive grants to establish mental health treatment courts. |
Mental health treatment courts | Creation of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 433(2) | Veterans treatment courts |
Chief Justice may establish. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court may establish veterans treatment courts for veterans and members of the United States Armed Forces. The Supreme Judicial Court may adopt administrative orders and court rules of practice and procedure as necessary.
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Veterans treatment courts | Creation of the courts |
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Maine | M.R.S.A. Const. Art. 6, § 1 | Courts |
The judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Supreme Judicial Court, and such other courts as the Legislature shall from time to time establish. |
Courts generally | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490-G:2 | Implementation of Drug Courts |
I. (a) Each superior or circuit court may establish one or more drug courts under which drug offenders may be processed to address appropriately an identified substance abuse problem. “Drug court” means a judicial intervention process that incorporates and substantially complies with the Ten Key Components listed in subparagraph (b) and may include:(1) “Pre-adjudication” where a drug offender is ordered to participate in drug court before charges are filed or before conviction;(2) “Post-adjudication” where a drug offender is ordered to participate in drug court after entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendre or having been found guilty;(3) “Reentry” where a drug offender is ordered to participate in drug court upon release from a sentence of incarceration; or(4) “Combination program” which may include pre-adjudication, post-adjudication, and/or reentry.
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Drug court | Creation of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490-H:2 | Implementation of Mental Health Courts |
Any superior or circuit court may establish one or more mental health courts under which the courts monitor offenders with mental illnesses for compliance with individual services to change behavior which would otherwise result in criminal conduct.
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Mental health court | Creation of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 592-B:9 | Drug Courts or Alternative Drug Offender Programs |
I. (a) In any county that has implemented or which will implement the felonies first project established in this chapter within one year of commencing operation of a drug court or alternative drug offender program, the judicial branch shall fund and operate an approved drug court or alternative drug offender program separate from the statewide drug offender grant program established in RSA 490-G, and at no cost to the county.
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Drug Court | Creation of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 491:7 | Jurisdiction |
The superior court shall take cognizance of civil actions and pleas, real, personal, and mixed, according to the course of the common law, except such actions as are required to be brought in the family division under RSA 490-D, district courts under RSA 502-A, or the probate courts under RSA 547; of writs of mandamus and quo warranto and of proceedings in relation thereto; of petition and appeals relating to highways and property taken therefor and for other public use; of actions commenced in the probate or district courts where a right to jury trial is guaranteed by the constitution; of actions commenced in a district court which are transferable by statute to the superior court; of suits in equity under RSA 498:1; of petitions for new trials; of petitions for the redemption and foreclosure of mortgages; of all other proceedings and matters to be entered in, or heard at, said court by special provisions of law; and of all other proceedings and matters cognizable therein for which other special provision is not made.
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Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Const. Pt. 2, art. 72a | Supreme and Superior Courts |
The judicial power of the state shall be vested in the supreme court, a trial court of general jurisdiction known as the superior court, and such lower courts as the legislature may establish under Article 4th of Part 2.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490-F:2 | Circuit Court; General |
The circuit court shall be a court of record with statewide jurisdiction. Each circuit court location shall have the authority to hear all cases within the subject matter jurisdiction of the circuit court. Subject to part 1, article 17 of the New Hampshire constitution, nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the reassignment of cases within the circuit court as justice or efficiency requires in the discretion of the administrative judge of the circuit court.
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Circuit Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 502-A:11 | Criminal Cases; District Court |
Each district court shall have the powers of a justice of the peace and quorum throughout the state and shall have original jurisdiction, subject to appeal, of all crimes and offenses committed within the confines of the district in which such court is located which are punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, including all violations of the provisions of RSA 266:16 and RSA 266:25 pertaining to vehicles exceeding permitted size or weight, regardless of whether the defendant is a natural person or any other person.
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District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490:4 | Jurisdiction |
The supreme court shall have general superintendence of all courts of inferior jurisdiction to prevent and correct errors and abuses, including the authority to approve rules of court and prescribe and administer canons of ethics with respect to such courts, shall have exclusive authority to issue writs of error, and may issue writs of certiorari, prohibition, habeas corpus, and all other writs and processes to other courts, to corporations and to individuals, and shall do and perform all the duties reasonably requisite and necessary to be done by a court of final jurisdiction of questions of law and general superintendence of inferior courts.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 591-A:1 | Superior Court |
The superior court has jurisdiction of all criminal cases and proceedings; but it may dismiss a prosecution originally begun therein which is within the jurisdiction of a circuit court. |
Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 5912-B:1 | Jurisdiction |
The superior court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over felony complaints and misdemeanors and violation level charges that are directly related to those felonies. The superior court shall also have jurisdiction over de novo appeals of class A misdemeanors pursuant to RSA 599:1.
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Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 502-A:17-a | Transfers to Supreme Court |
In any criminal case or civil cause in any district court, questions of law may be transferred to the supreme court in the same manner as that from the superior court under RSA 491:17; provided that the district court justice hearing the case to be transferred shall, if either party requests it, file as a part of the transferred case his findings, in writing, stating the facts found and his rulings of law.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 591-A:2 | Appeals to Superior Court |
The superior court has jurisdiction of all appeals in criminal cases from district or municipal courts. |
Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Ohio | Ohio Const. Art. IV § 1 | In whom judicial power vested |
The judicial power of the state is vested in a supreme court, courts of appeals, courts of common pleas and divisions thereof, and such other courts inferior to the supreme court as may from time to time be established by law.
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Judiciary | Creation of the courts |
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Ohio | Ohio Const. Art. IV, § 2 | The supreme court |
(A) The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices. In case of the absence or disability of the chief justice, the judge having the period of longest total service upon the court shall be the acting chief justice. If any member of the court shall be unable, by reason of illness, disability or disqualification, to hear, consider and decide a cause or causes, the chief justice or the acting chief justice may direct any judge of any court of appeals to sit with the judges of the supreme court in the place and stead of the absent judge. A majority of the Supreme Court shall be necessary to constitute a quorum or to render a judgment. (B)(1) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction in the following: (a) Quo warranto; (b)Mandamus; (c) Habeas corpus; (d) Prohibition; (e) Procedendo; (f) In any cause on review as may be necessary to its complete determination; g) Admission to the practice of law, the discipline of persons so admitted, and all other matters relating to the practice of law. 2) The supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction as follows: (a) In appeals from the courts of appeals as a matter of right in the following: (i) Cases originating in the courts of appeals; (ii) Cases in which the death penalty has been affirmed; (iii) Cases involving questions arising under the constitution of the United States or of this state. (b) In appeals from the courts of appeals in cases of felony on leave first obtained, (c) In direct appeals from the courts of common pleas or other courts of record inferior to the court of appeals as a matter of right in cases in which the death penalty has been imposed; (d) Such revisory jurisdiction of the proceedings of administrative officers or agencies as may be conferred by law; (e) In cases of public or great general interest, the supreme court may direct any court of appeals to certify its record to the supreme court, and may review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment of the court of appeals; (f) The Supreme Court shall review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment in any case certified by any court of appeals pursuant to section 3(B)(4) of this article.(3) No law shall be passed or rule made whereby any person shall be prevented from invoking the original jurisdiction of the supreme court. (C) The decisions in all cases in the Supreme Court shall be reported, together with the reasons therefor.
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Ohio Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |