State Court Systems  Historical Development of State Court Systems  State Judicial Structures  Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction  Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction  Intermediate Appellate Courts  Courts of Last Resort  State Supreme Courts and Workload Demands

Historical Development of State Courts  Colonial Courts  Post Revolutionary State Courts  Post-Civil War Growth and Fragmentation  Court Unification Movement  Widespread Workload Crisis Increases

State Trial Courts Limited Jurisdiction  Limited to minor civil and criminal cases  Often limited to certain types of subject matter  Qualification requirements of the judges can vary  Often are not jury trials General Jurisdiction  Handle more serious criminal and civil cases  Geographic division  Naming conventions vary  Higher qualification requirements  Typically use jury trials

Stages in State Supreme Court Development Low Caseload – Low Discretion High Caseload – Low Discretion Low Caseload – High Discretion