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.
Every law can be saved to the Reform Builder
See conflicts of interest policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
25 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Const. art. IV, § 1 | Judicial Power and Jurisdiction |
The judicial power of the State is vested in a supreme court, a superior court, and the courts established by the legislature. The jurisdiction of courts shall be prescribed by + See morelaw. The courts shall constitute a unified judicial system for operation and administration. Judicial districts shall be established by law.
|
All Courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 22.07.010 | Establishment | There is established the court of appeals, consisting of three judges. The court of appeals is a court of record. | Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 22.10.010 | Establishment of Superior Court |
There shall be one superior court for the state. The court shall consist of four districts bounded as follows: First District: the area within election districts numbered one to six, + See moreboth inclusive, as those districts are described in art. XIV of the state constitution on March 19, 1959; Second District: the area within election districts numbered 21 to 23, both inclusive, and those areas of election districts 18 and 20 within the boundaries of the North Slope Borough, as those districts are described in art. XIV of the state constitution on March 19, 1959; Third District: the area within election districts numbered seven to 15, both inclusive, as those districts are described in art. XIV of the state constitution on March 19, 1959, and the portion of election district 19, as that district is described in art. XIV of the state constitution on March 19, 1959, that is in the Glennallen Venue District on March 1, 2002, described as follows: Beginning at a point on the divide between the watersheds of the Tanana River and the Copper River south of the headwaters of Totschunda Creek; thence southwesterly in a straight line first crossing the Nabesna River to Mt. Allen; thence meandering on the divide mountain peak to mountain peak to a point north of Regal Mountain on the divide separating the Nabesna Glacier from the Chisana Glacier; thence westerly and northwesterly along the divide between the watersheds of the Tanana River and Copper River as it meanders from mountain peak to mountain peak back to a point on the divide south of the headwaters of the Totschunda Creek, the place of the beginning; and Fourth District: the area within election districts numbered 16, 17, and 24, the areas of election districts numbered 18 and 20 not included in the second district, and the area of election district numbered 19 not included in the third district, as those districts are described in art. XIV of the state constitution on March 19, 1959.
|
Superior Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 22.15.010 | Establishment of the District Court of the State of Alaska |
There is established a district court of the State of Alaska for each of the four judicial districts of the superior court of this state. |
District Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Lower courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Alcohol and drug treatment court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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 |
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Veterans treatment courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
All courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Family Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 1.001 | Supreme Court creation |
The Legislative Assembly hereby declares that, as a matter of statewide concern, it is in the best interests of the people of this state that the judicial branch of state + See moregovernment, including the appellate, tax and circuit courts, be funded and operated at the state level. The Legislative Assembly finds that state funding and operation of the judicial branch can provide for best statewide allocation of governmental resources according to the actual needs of the people and of the judicial branch by establishing an accountable, equitably funded and uniformly administered system of justice for all the people of this state
|
Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 2.510 | Court of Appeals creation | As part of the judicial branch of state government, there is created a court of justice to be known as the Court of Appeals. | Court of Appeals | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 305.405 | Oregon Tax Court; creation; jurisdiction |
As part of the judicial branch of state government, there is created a court of justice to be known as the Oregon Tax Court. The tax court, in cases within its jurisdiction pursuant to ORS 305.410 (Authority of court in tax cases within its jurisdiction):(1) Is a court of record and of general jurisdiction, not limited, special or inferior jurisdiction. (2) Has the same powers as a circuit court. (3) Has and may exercise all ordinary and extraordinary legal, equitable and provisional remedies available in the circuit courts, as well as such additional remedies as may be assigned to it.
|
Tax Court | Creation of the courts, Jurisdiction of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 14-29-30 | Veterans treatment court programs may be established |
Each circuit solicitor may establish a veterans treatment court program. Each circuit solicitor that accepts state funding for the implementation of a veterans treatment court program must establish and administer + See moreat least one veterans treatment court program for the circuit within one hundred eighty days of receipt of funding. The circuit solicitor must administer the program and ensure that all eligible persons are permitted to apply for admission to the program.
|
Veterans Treatment Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 14-31-40 | Mental health court program may be established |
each circuit solicitor may establish a mental health court program under one of the formats defined in Section 14-31-30. An offender arrested or convicted for any charges, except those excluded + See moreunder the provisions of Section 16-1-130, who are suffering from a diagnosed, or diagnosable mental illness, including those with a co-concurring disorder of substance abuse, may be eligible for referral to a mental health court program. In cases involving victims, proper notice shall be given to victims pursuant to Section 16-3-1525. Proper notice to a victim is not achieved unless reasonable attempts are made to contact the victim and the victim is either nonresponsive or cannot be located after a reasonable search. (b) Each circuit solicitor that accepts state funding for the implementation of a mental health treatment court program must establish and administer at least one mental health court program for the circuit within one hundred eighty days of receipt of funding. The circuit solicitor must administer the program and ensure that all eligible persons are permitted to apply for admission to the program.
|
Mental Health Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Tennessee | TN Const. Art. 6, § 1 | Enumeration of Courts |
"The judicial power of this State shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such Circuit, Chancery and other inferior Courts as the Legislature shall from time to time, + See moreordain and establish; in the Judges thereof, and in Justices of the Peace. The Legislature may also vest such jurisdiction in Corporation Courts as may be deemed necessary. Courts to be holden by Justices of the Peace may also be established."
|
All Courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-1-101 | Vesting |
"The judicial power of the state is vested in judges of the courts of general sessions, recorders of certain towns and cities, circuit courts, criminal courts, common law and chancery + See morecourts, chancery courts, courts of appeals, and the supreme court, and other courts created by law."
|
All Courts | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-101 | Creation |
"(a) There is created and established a court in and for each county of the state, except in counties having a population of not less than nine thousand one hundred + See moreseventy-five (9,175) nor more than nine thousand two hundred (9,200), according to the last federal census or any subsequent federal census, which shall be designated as the court of general sessions.(b) It is the intent of this section to create a general sessions court in every county not expressly excepted in this section. In any county where a general sessions court has been created pursuant to the general provisions of this chapter, it is intended that the county shall always have a general sessions court unless abolished by another general statute. In counties in which there is no court of general sessions as provided in this section, references in this code to the court of general sessions are deemed to include the court having the jurisdiction of the court of general sessions in such counties."
|
Court of General Sessions | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-18-101 | Authorization |
"In any municipality in this state having a mayor's court or a municipal court presided over by the mayor of the municipality or the city recorder of the municipality and + See morehaving no other provision for a municipal judge for the municipality, the governing body of the municipality is authorized by ordinance to provide for the office of municipal judge."
|
Municipal Court | Creation of the courts |
Add to Dashboard
|
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 |