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Structure of Courts
Keyword search across all of the laws in the states. Subject-area tabs above allow you to narrow results. Click the advanced search for further refinement.
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Function
Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
50 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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Maryland | Md. Const. art. IV, §§ 1, 14 | Court of Appeals - creation of courts |
The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, + See moreand a District Court. These Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing from it..
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Maryland Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
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Maryland | Md. Const. art. IV, §§ 1, 15 | Special Appeals - creation of courts |
The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, + See moreand a District Court. These Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing from it..
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Maryland Court of Special Appeals | Creation of the courts |
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Maryland | Md. Const. art. IV, §§ 1, 16 | Circuit Courts - creation of courts |
The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, + See moreand a District Court. These Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing from it..
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Maryland Circuit Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Maryland | Md. Const. art. IV, §§ 1, 17 | District Courts - creation of courts |
The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, + See moreand a District Court. These Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing from it..
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District Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Maryland | Md. Const. art. IV, §§ 1, 18 | Orphans' Court - creation of courts |
The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, + See moreand a District Court. These Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing from it..
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Orphans' Court | Creation of the courts |
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California | Cal. Con. art. VI, § 2 | Supreme Court; justices; time for convening; concurrence required for judgment; acting Chief Justice |
The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice ofCalifornia and 6 associate justices. The Chief Justice may convene
the court at any time. Concurrence of 4 judges present at + See morethe
argument is necessary for a judgment.
An acting Chief Justice shall perform all functions of the Chief
Justice when the Chief Justice is absent or unable to act. The Chief
Justice or, if the Chief Justice fails to do so, the court shall
select an associate justice as acting Chief Justice.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |
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California | Cal. Con. art. VI, § 3 | Courts of appeal; districts; divisions; power; concurrence required for judgment; acting presiding justice |
The Legislature shall divide the State into districts eachcontaining a court of appeal with one or more divisions. Each
division consists of a presiding justice and 2 or more associate
justices. + See more It has the power of a court of appeal and shall conduct
itself as a 3-judge court. Concurrence of 2 judges present at the
argument is necessary for a judgment.
An acting presiding justice shall perform all functions of the
presiding justice when the presiding justice is absent or unable to
act. The presiding justice or, if the presiding justice fails to do
so, the Chief Justice shall select an associate justice of that
division as acting presiding justice.
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Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
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California | Cal. Con. Art. VI, Sec. 4 | Superior courts; officers and employees; appellate divisions |
In each county there is a superior court of one or morejudges. The Legislature shall prescribe the number of judges and
provide for the officers and employees of each superior + See morecourt. If
the governing body of each affected county concurs, the Legislature
may provide that one or more judges serve more than one superior
court.
In each superior court there is an appellate division. The Chief
Justice shall assign judges to the appellate division for specified
terms pursuant to rules, not inconsistent with statute, adopted by
the Judicial Council to promote the independence of the appellate
division.
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Superior Court | Creation of the courts |
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Louisiana | La. Const. Art. 3 Sec. 9 | District courts - elected judges |
Section 9. Each circuit shall be divided into at least three districts, and at least one judge shall be elected from each. The circuits and districts and the number of + See morejudges as elected in each circuit on the effective date of this constitution are retained, subject to change by law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
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District Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Louisiana | La. Const. Ann. art. V, § 20 | Justice of the Peace/Mayor's Court - subject to change by law | Mayors' courts and justice of the peace courts existing on the effective date of this constitution are continued, subject to change by law. | Justice of the Peace Courts/Mayor's Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Connecticut | Conn. Const., art. V, § 1 | Creation of lower courts |
The judicial power of the state shall be vested in a supreme court, a superior court, and such lower courts as the general assembly shall, from time to time, ordain + See moreand establish. The powers and jurisdiction of these courts shall be defined by law.
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Lower courts | Creation 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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Arkansas | Ark. Const. Amend. 80, § 5 | Court of Appeals |
There shall be a Court of Appeals which may have divisions thereof as established by Supreme Court rule. The Court of Appeals shall have such appellate jurisdiction as the Supreme Court shall by rule determine and shall be subject to the general superintending control of the Supreme Court. Judges of the Court of Appeals shall have the same qualifications as Justices of the Supreme Court.
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Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
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Arkansas | Ark. Const. Amend. 80, § 6 | Circuit Courts |
(A) Circuit Courts are established as the trial courts of original jurisdiction of all justiciable matters not otherwise assigned pursuant to this Constitution.(B) Subject to the superintending control of the Supreme Court, the Judges of a Circuit Court may divide that Circuit Court into subject matter divisions, and any Circuit Judge within the Circuit may sit in any division. (C) Circuit Judges may temporarily exchange circuits by joint order. Any Circuit Judge who consents may be assigned to another circuit for temporary service under rules adopted by the Supreme Court. (D) The Circuit Courts shall hold their sessions in each county at such times and places as are, or may be, prescribed by law.
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Circuit Court | Creation of the courts |
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Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-98-303(a)(1)-(3) | Drug Courts Program Authorized |
(a)(1) Each judicial district of this state is authorized to establish a drug court program under this subchapter.(2) A drug court established under this subchapter shall be approved under § 16-10-139.(3)(A) A drug court program may be preadjudication or postadjudication for an adult offender or a juvenile offender.
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Drug Courts | Creation of the courts |
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Delaware | Del. Const. Art. IV, § 1 | Creation of Courts |
The judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, a Superior Court, a Court of Chancery, a Family Court, a Court of Common Pleas, a Register's Court, Justices of the Peace, and such other courts as the General Assembly, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members elected to each House, shall have by law established prior to the time this amended Article IV of this Constitution becomes effective or shall from time to time by law establish after such time.
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All courts | Creation of the courts |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §29.0081(1) | County funding of additional court personnel |
A county and the chief judge of a judicial circuit that includes that county may enter into an agreement under which the county funds personnel positions to assist in the operation of the circuit.
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County courts | Creation of the courts |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §29.008(2) | County funding of court-related functions |
Counties shall pay reasonable and necessary salaries, costs, and expenses of the state courts system, including associated staff and expenses, to meet local requirements. |
County courts | Creation of the courts |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §29.008(1) | County funding of court-related functions |
Counties are required by s. 14, Art. V of the State Constitution to fund the cost of communications services, existing radio systems, existing multiagency criminal justice information systems, and the cost of construction or lease, maintenance, utilities, and security of facilities for the circuit and county courts, public defenders offices, state attorneys offices, guardian ad litem offices, and the offices of the clerks of the circuit and county courts performing court-related functions. For purposes of this section, the term circuit and county courts includes the offices and staffing of the guardian ad litem programs, and the term public defenders offices includes the offices of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel. The county designated under s. 35.05(1) as the headquarters for each appellate district shall fund these costs for the appellate division of the public defender's office in that county.
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County courts | Creation of the courts |