1. Jurisdiction: Federal Court vs. State Court Systems
Court Systems and Practices

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3. Outline of the Federal Court System
Magistrate Courts
Trial Courts
US District Courts
US Bankruptcy Courts
US Court of International Trade
US Court of Federal Claims

4. Outline of the Federal Court System (continued)
Appellate Courts
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Circuit Court of Appeals
US Supreme Court
Other Federal Tribunals
US Tax Courts
Court of Veteran Appeals
Military Courts
Federal Administrative Agencies and Boards

5. Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts
Magistrate Court – limited jurisdiction
Trial Courts
US District Courts
General trial jurisdiction
Both criminal and civil
US Bankruptcy Courts – limited and exclusive jurisdiction
US Court of International Trade – specialized jurisdiction
US Court of Federal Claims – specialized jurisdiction

6. Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts (continued)
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Intermediate appellate jurisdiction
Reviews appeals from specialized courts
Court of International Trade
US Court of Federal Claims
Nationwide geographical jurisdiction
Circuit Court of Appeals
Reviews appeals from US District Courts
Circuit determined by geographic location of lower federal court
12 Regional Circuits

7. Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts (continued)
US Supreme Court
Court of last resort in the US
Appellate jurisdiction over cases that deal with the Constitution or federal law
US Supreme Court has discretion regarding which cases it will review
Cases usually begin in state court or federal court
Original and exclusive jurisdiction over:
Proceedings against ambassadors or public ministers of foreign states; and
All controversies between two or more states

8. Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts (continued)
Other Federal Tribunals
Military Courts
Court of Veteran Appeals
US Tax Court
Federal Administrative Agencies and Boards

9. Outline of the State Court System (Texas)
Justice of the Peace or Municipal Courts
County Courts
Constitutional County Courts
Statutory County Courts at Law
Statutory Probate Courts
District Courts
Courts of Appeals
Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals
Other state tribunals
State Office of Administrative Hearings
State Agencies and Boards

10. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas)
Justice Courts
Limited jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction in Class C misdemeanor criminal cases that are punishable by fine only
Civil matters not more than $10,000
Evictions (Landlord/Tenant law)

11. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas) (continued)
Municipal Courts
Limited jurisdiction
Misdemeanors with fines less than $200
Exclusive original jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations
Limited civil jurisdiction

12. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas) (continued)
County Courts
Limited jurisdiction
Constitutional County Courts
Have appellate jurisdiction over the justice courts, municipal courts, and administrative hearings
Preside over Class A and Class B Misdemeanors
Original jurisdiction in civil cases from $200 to $10,000
Concurrent jurisdiction with justice of the peace and district courts in civil cases in which the amount in controversy is small

13. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas) (continued)
County Courts (continued)
County Court at Law
Created by Legislature to aid the single constitutional county court
Legal jurisdiction varies
Original, appellate, and concurrent jurisdiction are the same as Constitutional County Court
Statutory Probate Courts
Original and exclusive jurisdiction over their counties' probate matters, guardianship cases, and mental health commitments
Legislature grants authority to certain county courts

14. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas) (continued)
District Courts
General and Special Jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction
All felony criminal cases
Divorce cases
Title to land cases
Contested election cases
Civil matters of $200 or more
Juvenile matters

15. Jurisdiction of the State Courts (Texas) (continued)
Courts of Appeals
Intermediate appellate jurisdiction
Both criminal and civil cases
State of Texas Highest Appellate Courts
Texas Supreme Court
Final appellate jurisdiction in civil cases
Final appellate jurisdiction in juvenile cases
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Final appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases

16. Resources
Prentice Hall, Criminal Courts: Structure, Process, and Issues (2nd Edition), 2007, Dean John Champion, Richard D. Hartley, & Gary A. Rabe.
Outline of the US Legal System, Bureau of International Information Programs, United States Department of State, 2004,