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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
26 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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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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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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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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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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Oklahoma | Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 471.1 | Authorization of Drug Court Programs |
Each district court of this state is authorized to establish a drug court program pursuant to the provisions of this act, subject to availability of funds. Juvenile drug courts may + See morebe established based upon the provisions of this act; provided, however, juveniles shall not be held, processed, or treated in any manner which violates any provision of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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District Court | Creation of the courts |
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Oklahoma | Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 472 | Anna McBride Act--Mental health courts | Any district or municipal court of this state may establish a mental health court program pursuant to the provisions of this section, subject to the availability of funds. | District Court or Municipal Court | Creation of the courts |
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South Dakota | S.D. Const. art. V, § 2 | Supreme Court |
The Supreme Court is the highest court of the state. It consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. Upon request by the Supreme Court the Legislature may increase the number of justices to seven. All justices shall be selected from compact districts established by the Legislature, and each district shall have one justice.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |
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South Dakota | S.D. Const. art. V, § 3 | Circuit courts |
The circuit courts consist of such number of circuits and judges as the Supreme Court determines by rule. |
Circuit Courts | Creation of the courts |
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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 |
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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 |
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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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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. § 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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West Virginia | W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 2 | Supreme court of appeals |
The supreme court of appeals shall consist of five justices. A majority of the justices of the court shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The justices shall be elected by the voters of the State for a term of twelve years, unless sooner removed or retired as authorized in this article. The legislature may prescribe by law whether the election of such justices is to be on a partisan or nonpartisan basis.
Provision shall be made by rules of the supreme court of appeals for the selection of a member of the court to serve as chief justice thereof. If the chief justice is temporarily disqualified or unable to serve, one of the justices of the court designated in accordance with the rules of the court shall serve temporarily in his stead. When any justice is temporarily disqualified or unable to serve, the chief justice may assign a judge of a circuit court or of an intermediate appellate court to serve from time to time in his stead. |
Supreme court of appeals | Creation of the courts |
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West Virginia | W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 1 | Judicial power |
The judicial power of the State shall be vested solely in a supreme court of appeals and in the circuit courts, and in such intermediate appellate courts and magistrate courts as shall be hereafter established by the legislature, and in the justices, judges and magistrates of such courts.
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State Court | Creation of the courts |