Data Explorer: Institutional Structure of Courts | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

Structure of Courts

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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.

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	State	Statute	Description/Statute Name	Statutory language	Court/legal body	Function
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	Supreme Court	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more Judicial 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.	Justice Court	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more strategy between the court, prosecutors, defense counsel, corrections, and substance abuse treatment services to reduce substance abuse by offenders.	Drug Court	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more existence 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.	Veterans Court	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Const. ch. 2 § 4	Judiciary powers	The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a unified judicial system which shall be composed of a Supreme Court, a Superior Court, and such other subordinate courts + See more as the General Assembly may from time to time ordain and establish.	State courts	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 1	Unified court system established	The Judiciary shall be a unified court system under the administrative control of the Supreme Court. It shall consist of an appellate division, which shall be the Supreme Court, and + See more a trial division, which shall consist of a trial court of general jurisdiction to be known as the Superior Court, and a Judicial Bureau.	State courts	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 30	Superior Court	(a)(1) A Superior Court having statewide jurisdiction is created. The Superior Court shall have the following divisions: (B) A Criminal Division, which shall be a court of record and have + See more jurisdiction over the matters described in section 32 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure shall apply to criminal matters in the Criminal Division, and the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply to civil matters in the Criminal Division.	Superior Court	Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Vermont	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 2	Supreme Court established; jurisdiction	(a) The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from judgments, rulings, and orders of the Superior Court, administrative agencies, boards, commissions, and officers unless otherwise provided by law.+ See more /> (b) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction, concurrent with the Superior Court, of proceedings in certiorari, mandamus, prohibition, and quo warranto and shall have jurisdiction to issue all writs, processes, and orders that may be necessary to the furtherance of justice and the regular execution of the law.	Supreme Court	Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Virginia	Va. Const. art. IV, § 1	Va. Const. art. IV, § 1	The judicial power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Supreme Court and in such other courts of original or appellate jurisdiction subordinate to the Supreme Court as the + See more General Assembly may from time to time establish.	Generally applicable - judicial power	Creation of the courts
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington DC	DC ST § 11-101	Judicial power	The judicial power in the District of Columbia is vested in the following courts:(1) The following Federal Courts established pursuant to article III of the Constitution: (A) The Supreme Court of + See more the United States. (B) The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. (C) The United States District Court for the District of Columbia. (2) The following District of Columbia courts established pursuant to article I of the Constitution: (A) The District of Columbia Court of Appeals. (B) The Superior Court of the District of Columbia.	Superior Court, Court of Appeals	Creation of the courts

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