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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.
41 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. 604-1 | Judicial circuits; district judges; sessions |
There shall be established in each of the judicial circuits of the State a district court with the powers and under the conditions herein set forth, which shall be styled as follows: (1) For the First Judicial Circuit: The District Court of the First Circuit. (2) For the Second Judicial Circuit: The District Court of the Second Circuit. (3) For the Third Judicial Circuit: The District Court of the Third Circuit. (4) For the Fifth Judicial Circuit: The District Court of the Fifth Circuit. There shall be appointed one or more district judges for each judicial circuit. The district court of the first circuit shall consist of fourteen judges, who shall be styled as first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth judge, respectively. One of the district judges shall hear landlord-tenant and small claims matters, provided that when in the discretion of the chief justice of the supreme court the urgency or volume of cases so requires, the chief justice may authorize the judge to substitute for or act in addition to or otherwise in place of any other district judge of the district court of the first circuit. The district court of the second circuit shall consist of three judges, who shall be styled as first, second, and third judge, respectively. The district court of the third circuit shall consist of three judges, who shall be styled as first, second, and third judge, respectively. The district court of the fifth circuit shall consist of two judges who shall be styled as first and second judge, respectively. The chief justice may designate a judge in each circuit as the administrative judge for the circuit. The district courts shall hold sessions at such places in their respective circuits and as often as the respective district judges deem essential to the promotion of justice.
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District courts | Creation of the courts |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 613-2 | Establishment of the center for alternative dispute resolution |
(a) There is established within the judiciary the center for alternative dispute resolution. The center shall facilitate the effective, timely, and voluntary resolution of disputes. Through these resolutions, it shall help reduce public and private costs of litigation and increase satisfaction with the justice system. The center shall accomplish its purposes by:(1) Providing, where feasible and agreed to by the parties, the consultative resources and technical assistance needed to achieve voluntary resolutions for cases that affect the public interest or the work of state and county agencies. These cases shall include but not be limited to: (A) Public disputes involving actual or threatened court actions over the allocation or management of public resources or the siting of public facilities; (B) Complex litigation cases in which a court or a regulatory or administrative agency has determined that the dispute involves multiple parties or formidable technical, procedural, or factual issues, or both; (C) Policy roundtables in which the center, at the request of an executive, legislative, or judicial decisionmaker, convenes and chairs advisory discussions on matters pertaining to standards or rules; and (D) Other cases directly referred by judges, legislators, agency heads, or appointed government officials; (2) Promoting in a systematic manner the appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution; and (3) Disseminating to government agencies and to the community at large up-to-date information on the methods and applications of alternative dispute resolution.
(b) The center shall be organized, guided, and administratively maintained by the chief justice or the chief justice's designee. The chief justice shall appoint a director of the center. The director may hire staff necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to an assistant director and a program specialist. The director, assistant director, and program specialist shall have substantial experience, training, and education in the methodologies of alternative dispute resolution. Employees of the center shall be exempt from chapter 76, shall not be considered civil service employees, but shall be entitled to any employee benefit plan normally inuring to civil service employees. |
Center for alternative dispute resolution | Creation of the courts |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. 604A-1 | Environmental Courts; establishment |
(a) The environmental courts shall be created as divisions of the circuit courts and district courts of the State and shall not be deemed to be other courts as that term is used in the state constitution. An environmental court shall be held at the courthouse in each circuit, or other duly designated place, by the judge or judges of the respective environmental courts.
(b) The chief justice of the supreme court shall designate an environmental judge or judges for each circuit and for a district court in each circuit, as may be necessary; provided that if the volume of environmental cases in the circuit or district in which an environmental judge presides is not adequate to provide an environmental court judge with a full time docket, the judge may hear cases arising from other areas of law. In any circuit that has more than one judge designated for the environmental court, the chief justice shall designate one of the judges as senior judge. The chief justice may temporarily assign an environmental court judge to preside in another circuit when the chief justice determines that the urgency of one or more cases in the circuit court or district court or the volume of the cases in the circuit court or district court so requires. |
Environmental courts | Creation 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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Massachusetts | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 211A, § 1 | Court Established; Justices. |
There shall be an intermediate appellate court to be known as the appeals court. The appeals court shall consist of a chief justice and twenty-four associate justices. |
Massachusetts Appeals Court | Creation of the courts |
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Massachusetts | Mass. Const. Pt. 2, C. 3, art. IV | Provisions for Holding Probate Courts. |
The judges of probate of wills, and for granting letters of administration, shall hold their courts at such place or places, on fixed days, as the convenience of the people shall require; and the legislature shall, from time to time, hereafter appoint such times and places; until which appointments, the said courts shall be holden at the times and places which the respective judges shall direct.
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Probate Court | Creation of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-23-3(1) | Purpose of the drug courts |
The Legislature of Mississippi recognizes the critical need for judicial intervention to reduce the incidence of alcohol and drug use, alcohol and drug addiction, and crimes committed as a result + See moreof alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug addiction. It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate local drug court alternative orders adaptable to chancery, circuit, county, youth, municipal and justice courts.
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Drug courts | Creation of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-25-1(2) | Veterans treatment court program |
A circuit court judge may establish a Veterans Treatment Court program. The Veterans Treatment Court may, at the discretion of the circuit court judge, be a separate court program or + See moreas a component of an existing drug court program. At the discretion of the circuit court judge, the Veterans Treatment Court may be operated in one (1) county within the circuit court district, and allow veteran participants from all counties within the circuit court district to participate.
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Veteran treatment court | Creation of the courts |
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Nevada | NV Const. Article 6, Sec. 1 | Judicial power vested in court system |
Judicial power vested in court system. The judicial power of this State is vested in a court system, comprising a Supreme Court, a court of appeals, district courts and justices of + See morethe peace. The Legislature may also establish, as part of the system, courts for municipal purposes only in incorporated cities and towns.
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All courts | Creation of the courts |
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Nevada | NV Const. Article 6, Sec. 6 | District Courts: Jurisdiction; referees; family court |
2. The legislature may provide by law for: . . . .
(b) The establishment of a family court as a division of any district + See morecourt and may prescribe its jurisdiction.
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Family Court | Creation of the courts |
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North Carolina | N.C. Con. Art. IV, § 2 | General Court of Justice |
The General Court of Justice shall constitute a unified judicial system for purposes of jurisdiction, operation, and administration, and shall consist of an Appellate Division, a Superior Court Division, and a District Court Division.
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Judiciary | Creation of the courts |
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North Carolina | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 7A-793 | Establishment of Program |
The North Carolina Drug Treatment Court Program is established in the Administrative Office of the Courts to facilitate the creation and funding of local drug treatment court programs. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide any necessary staff for planning, organizing, and administering the program. Local drug treatment court programs funded pursuant to this Article shall be operated consistently with the guidelines adopted pursuant to G.S. 7A-795. Local drug treatment court programs established and funded pursuant to this Article may consist of adult drug treatment court programs, juvenile drug treatment court programs, family drug treatment court programs, or any combination of these programs.
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Drug treatment court | Creation of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Const. Art. 5 Sec. 1 | Judicial power; courts in which vested |
The judicial power of this State shall be vested in one Supreme Court, in one Court of Criminal Appeals, in Courts of Appeals, in District Courts, in County Courts, in Commissioners Courts, in Courts of Justices of the Peace, and in such other courts as may be provided by law.
The Legislature may establish such other courts as it may deem necessary and prescribe the jurisdiction and organization thereof, and may conform the jurisdiction of the district and other inferior courts thereto. |
State courts | Creation of the courts |
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Utah | Utah Const. art. VIII, § 1 | Judicial Power |
Courts not of record shall also be established by statute...Municipalities or counties of the first or second class may create a justice court by filing a written declaration with the + See moreJudicial Council on or before July 1 at least two years prior to the effective date of the election. Upon demonstration of compliance with operating standards as established by statute and the Judicial Council, the Judicial Council shall certify the creation of the court...(1) Justice courts have jurisdiction over class B and C misdemeanors, violation of ordinances, and infractions committed within their territorial jurisdiction by a person 18 years of age or older.
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Justice Court | Creation of the courts |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 78A-5-201 | Creation and expansion of existing drug court programs |
(1) There may be created a drug court program in any judicial district that demonstrates: (a) the need for a drug court program; and (b) the existence of a collaborative + See morestrategy between the court, prosecutors, defense counsel, corrections, and substance abuse treatment services to reduce substance abuse by offenders.
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Drug Court | Creation of the courts |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 78A-5-301 | Creation of a veterans court program |
(1) The Judicial Council may create a veterans court program in any judicial district or geographic region that demonstrates: (a) the need for a veterans court program; and (b) the + See moreexistence of a collaborative strategy between the court, prosecutors, defense counsel, corrections, substance abuse treatment services, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Justice Outreach Program to divert veteran offenders.
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Veterans Court | Creation of the courts |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 78A-7-101 | Creation of justice court--Not of record | Under Article VIII, Section 1, Utah Constitution, there is created a court not of record known as the justice court. The judges of this court are justice court judges. | Justice Court | Creation of the courts |
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Minnesota | Minn. Const. Art. 6, § 2 | Judiciary; Supreme Court |
The supreme court consists of one chief judge and not less than six nor more than eight associate judges as the legislature may establish. It shall have original jurisdiction in such remedial cases as are prescribed by law, and appellate jurisdiction in all cases, but there shall be no trial by jury in the supreme court. The legislature may establish a court of appeals and provide by law for the number of its judges, who shall not be judges of any other court, and its organization and for the review of its decisions by the supreme court. The court of appeals shall have appellate jurisdiction over all courts, except the supreme court, and other appellate jurisdiction as prescribed by law. As provided by law judges of the court of appeals or of the district court may be assigned temporarily to act as judges of the supreme court upon its request and judges of the district court may be assigned temporarily by the supreme court to act as judges of the court of appeals. The supreme court shall appoint to serve at its pleasure a clerk, a reporter, a state law librarian and other necessary employees.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts |