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Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
46 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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New Jersey | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2B:12-1; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2B:12-17 | Municipal court jurisdiction |
A municipal court has jurisdiction over the following cases within the territorial jurisdiction of the court: a. Violations of county or municipal ordinances; b. Violations of the motor vehicle and + See moretraffic laws; c. Disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses and other non-indictable offenses except where exclusive jurisdiction is given to the Superior Court; d. Violations of the fish and game laws; e. Proceedings to collect a penalty where jurisdiction is granted by statute; f. Violations of laws regulating boating; and g. Any other proceedings where jurisdiction is granted by statute; A municipal court has jurisdiction over the following cases within the territorial jurisdiction of the court: a. Violations of county or municipal ordinances; b. Violations of the motor vehicle and traffic laws; c. Disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses and other non-indictable offenses except where exclusive jurisdiction is given to the Superior Court; d. Violations of the fish and game laws; e. Proceedings to collect a penalty where jurisdiction is granted by statute; f. Violations of laws regulating boating; and g. Any other proceedings where jurisdiction is granted by statute.
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Municipal Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Jersey | N.J. Const. art. VI, § 3 | State superior court jurisdiction |
The Superior Court shall consist of such number of judges as may be authorized by law, each of whom shall exercise the powers of the court subject to rules of the + See moreSupreme Court. The Superior Court shall at all times consist of at least two judges who shall be assigned to sit in each of the counties of this State, and who are resident therein at the time of appointment and reappointment. The Superior Court shall have original general jurisdiction throughout the State in all causes
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State Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Jersey | N.J. Const. art. VI, § 3 | appellate court jurisdiction |
The Superior Court shall be divided into an Appellate Division, a Law Division, and a Chancery Division, which shall include a family part. Each division shall have such other parts, consist of + See moresuch number of judges, and hear such causes, as may be provided by rules of the Supreme Court. At least two judges of the Superior Court shall at all times be assigned to sit in each of the counties of the State, who at the time of their appointment and reappointment were residents of that county provided, however, that the number of judges required to reside in the county wherein they sit shall be at least equal in number to the number of judges of the county court sitting in each of the counties at the adoption of this amendment.
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Appellate Division | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Jersey | N.J. Const. art. VI, § 1 | Supreme Court jurisdiction |
The judicial power shall be vested in a Supreme Court, a Superior Court, and other courts of limited jurisdiction. The other courts and their jurisdiction may from time to time + See morebe established, altered or abolished by law.
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New Jersey Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Ohio | Ohio Const. Art. IV § 1 | In whom judicial power vested |
The judicial power of the state is vested in a supreme court, courts of appeals, courts of common pleas and divisions thereof, and such other courts inferior to the supreme court as may from time to time be established by law.
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Judiciary | Creation of the courts |
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Ohio | Ohio Const. Art. IV, § 2 | The supreme court |
(A) The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices. In case of the absence or disability of the chief justice, the judge having the period of longest total service upon the court shall be the acting chief justice. If any member of the court shall be unable, by reason of illness, disability or disqualification, to hear, consider and decide a cause or causes, the chief justice or the acting chief justice may direct any judge of any court of appeals to sit with the judges of the supreme court in the place and stead of the absent judge. A majority of the Supreme Court shall be necessary to constitute a quorum or to render a judgment. (B)(1) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction in the following: (a) Quo warranto; (b)Mandamus; (c) Habeas corpus; (d) Prohibition; (e) Procedendo; (f) In any cause on review as may be necessary to its complete determination; g) Admission to the practice of law, the discipline of persons so admitted, and all other matters relating to the practice of law. 2) The supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction as follows: (a) In appeals from the courts of appeals as a matter of right in the following: (i) Cases originating in the courts of appeals; (ii) Cases in which the death penalty has been affirmed; (iii) Cases involving questions arising under the constitution of the United States or of this state. (b) In appeals from the courts of appeals in cases of felony on leave first obtained, (c) In direct appeals from the courts of common pleas or other courts of record inferior to the court of appeals as a matter of right in cases in which the death penalty has been imposed; (d) Such revisory jurisdiction of the proceedings of administrative officers or agencies as may be conferred by law; (e) In cases of public or great general interest, the supreme court may direct any court of appeals to certify its record to the supreme court, and may review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment of the court of appeals; (f) The Supreme Court shall review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment in any case certified by any court of appeals pursuant to section 3(B)(4) of this article.(3) No law shall be passed or rule made whereby any person shall be prevented from invoking the original jurisdiction of the supreme court. (C) The decisions in all cases in the Supreme Court shall be reported, together with the reasons therefor.
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Ohio Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |