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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.
19 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-2-7 | Supreme court - jurisdiction |
(1) To exercise appellate jurisdiction coextensive with the state, under such restrictions and regulations as are prescribed by law; but, in deciding appeals, no weight shall be given the decision + See moreof the trial judge upon the facts where the evidence is not taken orally before the judge, but in such cases the Supreme Court shall weigh the evidence and give judgment as it deems just.(2) To exercise original jurisdiction in the issue and determination of writs of quo warranto and mandamus in relation to matters in which no other court has jurisdiction.
(3) To issue writs of injunction, habeas corpus, and such other remedial and original writs as are necessary to give to it a general superintendence and control of courts of inferior jurisdiction.
(4) To make and promulgate rules governing the administration of all courts and rules governing practice and procedure in all courts; provided, that such rules shall not abridge, enlarge, or modify the substantive right of any party nor affect the jurisdiction of circuit and district courts or venue of actions therein; and provided further, that the right of trial by jury as at common law and declared by Section 11 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 shall be preserved to the parties inviolate.
(5) To punish for contempts by the infliction of a fine not exceeding $100, and imprisonment not exceeding 10 days or both.
(6) To transfer to the Court of Civil Appeals, for determination by that court, any civil case appealed to the Supreme Court and within the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, except the following:
a. A case that the Supreme Court determines presents a substantial question of federal or state constitutional law.
b. A case that the Supreme Court determines involves a novel legal question, the resolution of which will have significant statewide impact.
c. A utility rate case appealed directly to the Supreme Court under the provisions of Section 37-1-140.
d. A bond validation proceeding appealed to the Supreme Court under the provisions of Section 6-6-754.
e. A bar disciplinary proceeding.
(7) To exercise such other powers as are or may be given to the Supreme Court by law.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-11-30 | Circuit court - jurisdiction |
(1) CIVIL. The circuit court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all civil actions in which the matter in controversy exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000), exclusive of interest and costs, + See moreand shall exercise original jurisdiction concurrent with the district court in all civil actions in which the matter in controversy exceeds six thousand dollars ($6,000), exclusive of interest and costs.(2) CRIMINAL. The circuit court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all felony prosecutions and of misdemeanor or ordinance violations which are lesser included offenses within a felony charge or which arise from the same incident as a felony charge; except, that the district court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court to receive pleas of guilty in felony cases not punishable by sentence of death. The circuit court may, on conviction of a defendant, upon a showing of inability to make immediate payment of fine and costs, continue the case from time to time to permit the fine and costs to be paid.
(3) APPELLATE. The circuit court shall have appellate jurisdiction of civil, criminal, and juvenile cases in district court and prosecutions for ordinance violations in municipal courts, except in cases in which direct appeal to the Courts of Civil or Criminal Appeals is provided by law or rule. Appeals to the circuit court shall be tried de novo, with or without a jury, as provided by law.
(4) SUPERINTENDENCE OF DISTRICT, MUNICIPAL AND PROBATE COURTS. The circuit court shall exercise a general superintendence over all district courts, municipal courts, and probate courts.
(5) CONTEMPTS. The circuit court may punish contempts by fines not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) and by imprisonment not exceeding five days. The power of the circuit court to enforce its orders and judgments by determinations of civil contempt shall be unaffected by this section.
(6) GENERAL. The circuit court shall have other powers as provided by law.
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Circuit Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-12-34 | Juvenile jurisdiction | Juvenile jurisdiction shall be exercised concurrently by the district court and the circuit court as provided by law. | District/Circuit Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-12-51 | District court - jurisdiction over misdemeanor prosecution for traffic violations | The district court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of misdemeanor prosecutions for traffic infractions, except ordinance infractions prosecuted in municipal courts. | District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-3-9 | Criminal jurisdiction |
The Court of Criminal Appeals shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction of all misdemeanors, including the violation of town and city ordinances, habeas corpus and all felonies, including all post conviction writs in criminal cases.
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Court of Criminal Appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-12-32 | Misdemeanors (District court - jurisdiction) |
(a) Misdemeanors. The district court shall have exclusive original trial jurisdiction over prosecutions of all offenses defined by law or ordinance as misdemeanors, except:(1) Prosecutions by municipalities having municipal courts; (2) Any such prosecution which also involves a felony offense which is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the circuit court, except as the district court is empowered to hold preliminary hearings with respect to felonies and to receive guilty pleas as provided in subsection (b) of this section; and (3) Any misdemeanor for which an indictment has been returned by a grand jury. (b) Felonies. (1) The district court may exercise original jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit court to receive pleas of guilty in prosecutions of offenses defined by law as felonies not punishable by sentence of death. (2) The district court shall have jurisdiction to hold preliminary hearings in prosecutions for felonies as provided for in Title 15 of this code .
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District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Alabama | Ala.Code 1975 § 12-23A-4(a)(1) | Drug court - establishment of |
The presiding judge of each judicial circuit, with the consent of the district attorney of that judicial circuit, may establish a drug court or courts, under which drug offenders shall be processed, to appropriately address the identified substance abuse problem of the drug offender as a condition of pretrial release, pretrial diversion, probation, jail, prison, parole, community corrections, or other release or diversion from a correctional facility. The structure, method, and operation of each drug court may differ and should be based upon the specific needs of and resources available to the judicial district or circuit where the drug court is located, but shall be created and operate pursuant to this chapter and in compliance with rules promulgated by the Alabama Supreme Court.
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Drug Court | Creation of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Code § 602.4102 | Jurisdiction - Supreme Court |
The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction only in cases in chancery, and constitutes a court for the correction of errors at law. The jurisdiction of the supreme court is coextensive with the state.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Code § 602.5103(1)-(2) | Jurisdiction - courts of appeals |
1. The jurisdiction of the court of appeals is coextensive with the state. The court of appeals has appellate jurisdiction only in cases in chancery, and constitutes a court for the correction of errors at law.
2. The court of appeals has subject matter jurisdiction to review the following matters: a. Civil actions and special civil proceedings, whether at law or in equity. b. Criminal actions. c. Postconviction remedy proceedings. d. A judgment of a district judge in a small claims action. |
Court of appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Const. Art. 5 § 4 | Supreme Court |
The supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction only in cases in chancery, and shall constitute a court for the correction of errors at law, under such restrictions as the general assembly may, by law, prescribe; and shall have power to issue all writs and process necessary to secure justice to parties, and shall exercise a supervisory and administrative control over all inferior judicial tribunals throughout the state.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Const. Art. 5 § 6 | District Court |
The district court shall be a court of law and equity, which shall be distinct and separate jurisdictions, and have jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters arising in their respective districts, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.
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District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Code § 602.7101(2) | Juvenile Court |
The jurisdiction of the juvenile court may be exercised by any district judge, and by any district associate judge who is designated by the chief judge as a judge of the juvenile court.
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Juvenile Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Const. Art. 5 § 10 | General assembly |
[* * *]* The general assembly may reorganize the judicial districts and increase or diminish the number of districts, or the number of judges of the said court, and may increase the number of judges of the supreme court; but such increase or diminution shall not be more than one district, or one judge of either court, at any one session; and no reorganization of the districts, or diminution of the number of judges, shall have the effect of removing a judge from office. Such reorganization of the districts, or any change in the boundaries thereof, or increase or diminution of the number of judges, shall take place every four years thereafter, if necessary, and at no other time.
At any regular session of the general assembly the state may be divided into the necessary judicial districts for district court purposes, or the said districts may be reorganized and the number of the districts and the judges of said courts increased or diminished; but no reorganization of the districts or diminution of the judges shall have the effect of removing a judge from office. |
Judicial districts | Creation of the courts |
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Iowa | Iowa Const. Art. 5 § 1 | Judicial Power |
The judicial power shall be vested in a supreme court, district courts, and such other courts, inferior to the supreme court, as the general assembly may, from time to time, establish.
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Courts generally | 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 |
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Minnesota | Minn. Const. Art. 6, § 3 | Judiciary; Jursidiction of district court |
The district court has original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases and shall have appellate jurisdiction as prescribed by law. |
District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Minnesota | Minn. Const. Art. 6, § 1 | Judiciary; Judicial power |
The judicial power of the state is vested in a supreme court, a court of appeals, if established by the legislature, a district court and such other courts, judicial officers and commissioners with jurisdiction inferior to the district court as the legislature may establish.
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Judiciary | Creation of the courts |
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Minnesota | M.S.A. 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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Courts of Appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 260B.225(4) | Juvenile traffic offender; Procedures; Dispositions; Original jursidiction; juvenile court |
Original jurisdiction; juvenile court. The juvenile court has original jurisdiction over: (1) all juveniles age 15 and under alleged to have committed any traffic offense; and (2) 16- and 17-year-olds alleged to have committed any major traffic offense, except that the adult court has original jurisdiction over: (i) petty traffic misdemeanors not a part of the same behavioral incident of a misdemeanor being handled in juvenile court; and (ii) violations of section 169A.20 (driving while impaired), and any other misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor level traffic violations committed as part of the same behavioral incident as a violation of section 169A.20.
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Juvenile Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |