50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Structure of Courts
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
Function
Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
41 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 110/13 | Duties of director of court services department or chief probation officer; facilities and personnel |
It shall be the duty of the director of the court services department or the chief probation officer, appointed as provided in this act, to supervise and control the work of all subordinate court services or probation officers under his or her jurisdiction subject to the general administrative and supervisory authority of the Chief Circuit Judge or another judge designated by the Chief Circuit Judge, and to control and supervise, as herein provided, the conduct of probationers to such extent as the court may direct. The Chief Circuit Judge, or another judge designated by the Chief Circuit Judge to have general administrative and supervisory authority over the director of the court services department or the chief probation officer, may authorize the director or chief probation officer to appoint all subordinate court services department officers or probation officers, who shall serve at the pleasure of the director or chief probation officer.
|
Circuit Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | IL Const., Art. VI, § 9 | Circuit Courts — Jurisdiction |
Circuit Courts shall have original jurisdiction of all justiciable matters except when the Supreme Court has justiciable matters except when the Supreme Court has original and exclusive jurisdiction relating to redistricting of the General Assembly and to the ability of the Governor to serve or resume office. Circuit Courts shall have such power to review administrative action as provided by law.
|
Circuit Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 167/5 | Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act: Purposes |
It is the intent of the General Assembly to create specialized veteran and service member courts or programs with the necessary flexibility to meet the specialized problems faced by these veteran and service member defendants.
|
Veterans Courts | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 168/5 | Mental Health Court Treatment Act: Purposes |
It is the intent of the General Assembly to create specialized mental health courts with the necessary flexibility to meet the problems of criminal defendants with mental illnesses and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse problems in the State of Illinois.
|
Mental Health Courts | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 166/5 | Drug Court Treatment Act: Purposes |
The Chief Judge of each judicial circuit must establish a drug court program including the format under which it operates under this Act. |
Drug Court | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 166/5 | Drug Court Treatment Act: Purposes |
It is the intent of the General Assembly to create specialized drug courts with the necessary flexibility to meet the drug problems in the State of Illinois. |
Drug Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | IL Const., Art. VI, § 4 | Supreme Court — Jurisdiction |
SECTION 4. SUPREME COURT - JURISDICTION (a) The Supreme Court may exercise original jurisdiction in cases relating to revenue, mandamus, prohibition or habeas corpus and as may be necessary to the complete determination of any case on review. (b) Appeals from judgments of Circuit Courts imposing a sentence of death shall be directly to the Supreme Court as a matter of right. The Supreme Court shall provide by rule for direct appeal in other cases. (c) Appeals from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court are a matter of right if a question under the Constitution of the United States or of this State arises for the first time in and as a result of the action of the Appellate Court, or if a division of the Appellate Court certifies that a case decided by it involves a question of such importance that the case should be decided by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may provide by rule for appeals from the Appellate Court in other cases.
|
Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | IL Const., Art. VI, § 6 | Appellate Court — Jurisdiction |
SECTION 6. APPELLATE COURT - JURISDICTION Appeals from final judgments of a Circuit Court are a matter of right to the Appellate Court in the Judicial District in which the Circuit Court is located except in cases appealable directly to the Supreme Court and except that after a trial on the merits in a criminal case, there shall be no appeal from a judgment of acquittal. The Supreme Court may provide by rule for appeals to the Appellate Court from other than final judgments of Circuit Courts. The Appellate Court may exercise original jurisdiction when necessary to the complete determination of any case on review. The Appellate Court shall have such powers of direct review of administrative action as provided by law.
|
Appellate Courts in 5 judicial districts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | IL Const., Art. VI, § 7 | Judicial Circuits |
SECTION 7. JUDICIAL CIRCUITS (a) The State shall be divided into Judicial Circuits consisting of one or more counties. The First Judicial District shall constitute a Judicial Circuit. The Judicial Circuits within the other Judicial Districts shall be as provided by law. Circuits composed of more than one county shall be compact and of contiguous counties. The General Assembly by law may provide for the division of a circuit for the purpose of selection of Circuit Judges and for the selection of Circuit Judges from the circuit at large.
(b) Each Judicial Circuit shall have one Circuit Court with such number of Circuit Judges as provided by law. Unless otherwise provided by law, there shall be at least one Circuit Judge from each county. In the First Judicial District, unless otherwise provided by law, Cook County, Chicago, and the area outside Chicago shall be separate units for the selection of Circuit Judges, with at least twelve chosen at large from the area outside Chicago and at least thirty-six chosen at large from Chicago. (c) Circuit Judges in each circuit shall select by secret ballot a Chief Judge from their number to serve at their pleasure. Subject to the authority of the Supreme Court, the Chief Judge shall have general administrative authority over his court, including authority to provide for divisions, general or specialized, and for appropriate times and places of holding court. |
Circuit Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Illinois | IL Const. Art. VI, § 1 | Courts |
The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, an Appellate Court and Circuit Courts. |
All state courts | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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 |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Juvenile Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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 |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
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.
|
Courts generally | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
North Dakota | N.D. Const. art. VI, § 1 | Courts, generally |
The judicial power of the state is vested in a unified judicial system consisting of a supreme court, a district court, and such other courts as may be provided by + See morelaw.
|
Courts generally | Creation of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
North Dakota | N.D. Const. art. VI, § 2 | Supreme Court |
The supreme court shall be the highest court of the state. It shall have appellate jurisdiction, and shall also have original jurisdiction with authority to issue, hear, and determine such + See moreoriginal and remedial writs as may be necessary to properly exercise its jurisdiction. The supreme court shall consist of five justices, one of whom shall be designated chief justice in the manner provided by law.
|
Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
North Dakota | N.D. Const. art. VI, § 8 | District Courts |
The district court shall have original jurisdiction of all causes, except as otherwise provided by law, and such appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by law or by rule of + See morethe supreme court. The district court shall have authority to issue such writs as are necessary to the proper exercise of its jurisdiction.
|
District Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |