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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
83 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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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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California | Cal. Con. art. VI, § 12 | Supreme Court; review | The Supreme Court may review the decision of a court of appeal in any cause. | Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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California | Cal. Const. art. VI, § 1 | Judicial power | The judicial power of this State is vested in the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and superior courts, all of which are courts of record. | Judicial power generally | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 7 | General jurisdiction; control of records |
The Supreme Judicial Court may exercise its jurisdiction according to the common law not inconsistent with the Constitution or any statute, and may punish contempts against its authority by fine and imprisonment, or either, and administer oaths. It has general superintendence of all inferior courts for the prevention and correction of errors and abuses where the law does not expressly provide a remedy and has control of all records and documents in the custody of its clerks. Whenever justice or the public good requires, it may order the expunging from the records and papers on file in any case which has gone to judgment of any name or other part thereof unnecessary to the purpose and effect of said judgment. It may issue all writs and processes, not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Superior Court, necessary for the furtherance of justice or the execution of the laws in the name of the State under the seal of said court, attested by any justice not a party or interested in the suit and signed by the clerk.
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Supreme Judicial Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 114 | Authority of court |
The Superior Court may administer all necessary oaths, render judgment and issue execution, punish for contempt and compel attendance; and the provisions of law relative to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Judicial Court in each of said counties over parties, the arrest of persons, attachment of property, the time and mode of service of precepts, proceedings in court, the taxation of costs, the rendition of judgments, the issuing, service and return of executions and all other subjects apply to the Superior Court in all respects, except so far as they are modified by law, and the Superior Court is clothed with all the powers necessary for the performance of all its duties.
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Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 15 § 1(1) | Superior Court; criminal jurisdiction |
The Superior Court has original jurisdiction, exclusive or concurrent, of all crimes. |
Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 165(1),(3) | District court jurisdiction |
1. Crimes; Under One Year Imprisonment. The District Court has jurisdiction and, except as provided in Title 29-A, section 2602, concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court of all crimes, including violation of any statute or a bylaw of a town, village corporation or local health officer and breach of the peace, for which the maximum term of imprisonment to which the defendant may be sentenced upon conviction of that crime is less than one year.
3. Crimes; One Year or More Imprisonment. The District Court has, concurrent with the Superior Court, original jurisdiction to receive pleas of guilty in criminal cases, other than murder, in which: A. The maximum term of imprisonment to which the defendant may be sentenced upon conviction of that crime is one year or more; B. The defendant has in writing waived the defendant's right to indictment by grand jury and the defendant's right to a jury trial; and C. The defendant has indicated the defendant's intention to enter a plea of guilty to the charges pending against the defendant. When exercising such jurisdiction, the District Court possesses all of the powers of the Superior Court. The District Court shall exercise that jurisdiction in the manner that the Supreme Judicial Court by rule provides. Any person sentenced under this subsection is entitled to the rights provided by Title 15, chapter 306-A. |
District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 4 § 8 | Power to prescribe general rules |
The Supreme Judicial Court has the power to prescribe, by general rules, for the Probate, District and Superior Courts of Maine, the forms of process, writs, pleadings and motions and the practice and procedure in civil actions at law. Said rules may neither abridge, enlarge nor modify the substantive rights of any litigant. They take effect on such date not less than 6 months after their promulgation as the Supreme Judicial Court may fix. After their promulgation the Supreme Judicial Court may repeal, amend, modify or add to them from time to time with or without a waiting period. After the effective date of said rules as promulgated or amended, all laws in conflict therewith are of no further force or effect.
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Supreme Judicial Court | Jurisdiction 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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Maine | M.R.S.A. Const. Art. 6, § 1 | Courts |
The judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Supreme Judicial Court, and such other courts as the Legislature shall from time to time establish. |
Courts generally | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-3-9 | Supreme court jurisdiction |
The Supreme Court shall have such jurisdiction as properly belongs to a court of appeals, and shall hear and determine all manner of pleas, complaints, motions, causes, and controversies, civil + See moreand criminal, which are now pending therein, or which may be brought before it, and which shall be cognizable in said court; but a cause shall not be removed into said court until after final judgment in the court below, except as provided by Section 9-4-3, or in cases particularly provided for by law; and the Supreme Court may grant new trials and correct errors of the circuit court in granting or refusing the same.Provided, however, the Supreme Court shall have such original and appellate jurisdiction as may be otherwise provided by law in cases and proceedings for modification of any rates charged or sought to be charged to the public by any public utility.
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Supreme court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-4-3(1) | Court of appeals jurisdiction |
The Court of Appeals shall have the power to determine or otherwise dispose of any appeal or other proceeding assigned to it by the Supreme Court.
The jurisdiction of the Court + See moreof Appeals is limited to those matters which have been assigned to it by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court shall prescribe rules for the assignment of matters to the Court of Appeals. These rules may provide for the selective assignment of individual cases and may provide for the assignment of cases according to subject matter or other general criteria. However, the Supreme Court shall retain appeals in cases imposing the death penalty, or cases involving utility rates, annexations, bond issues, election contests, or a statute held unconstitutional by the lower court.
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Court of appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-81 | Chancery court jurisdiction |
The chancery court in addition to the full jurisdiction in all the matters and cases expressly conferred upon it by the constitution shall have jurisdiction of all cases transferred to + See moreit by the circuit court or remanded to it by the supreme court; and such further jurisdiction, as is, in this chapter or elsewhere, provided by law.
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Chancery court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-7-81 | Circuit courts jurisdiction |
The circuit court shall have original jurisdiction in all actions when the principal of the amount in controversy exceeds two hundred dollars, and of all other actions and causes, matters + See moreand things arising under the constitution and laws of this state which are not exclusively cognizable in some other court, and such appellate jurisdiction as prescribed by law. Such court shall have power to hear and determine all prosecutions in the name of the state for treason, felonies, crimes, and misdemeanors, except such as may be exclusively cognizable before some other court; and said court shall have all the powers belonging to a court of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, and may do and perform all other acts properly pertaining to a circuit court of law.
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Circuit courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 9-9-21(1) | Jurisdiction of county court |
The jurisdiction of the county court shall be as follows: It shall have jurisdiction concurrent with the justice court in all matters, civil and criminal of which the justice court + See morehas jurisdiction; and it shall have jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit and chancery courts in all matters of law and equity wherein the amount of value of the thing in controversy shall not exceed, exclusive of costs and interest, the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00), and the jurisdiction of the county court shall not be affected by any setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill in such actions where the amount sought to be recovered in such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill exceeds Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00). Provided, however, the party filing such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill which exceeds Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) shall give notice to the opposite party or parties as provided in Section 13-3-83, and on motion of all parties filed within twenty (20) days after the filing of such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill, the county court shall transfer the case to the circuit or chancery court wherein the county court is situated and which would otherwise have jurisdiction. It shall have exclusively the jurisdiction heretofore exercised by the justice court in the following matters and causes: namely, eminent domain, the partition of personal property, and actions of unlawful entry and detainer, provided that the actions of eminent domain and unlawful entry and detainer may be returnable and triable before the judge of said court in vacation. The county court shall have jurisdiction over criminal matters in the county assigned by a judge of the circuit court district in which the county is included.
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County court | Jurisdiction 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 |