The Us Court System

TOPIC

The US Court System

The U.S. has a dual court system, state and federal. Both systems are organized into three basic levels of courts —

1.trial courts,

2.intermediate courts of appeal

3.and a high court, or Supreme Court.

The state courts are concerned essentially with cases arising under state law, and the federal courts with cases arising under federal law.

Trial courts bear the main burden in the administration of justice. Cases begin there and in most instances are finally resolved there. The trial courts in each state include:

common pleas courts, which have general civil and criminal jurisdiction

and smaller in importance

municipal courts,

county courts

and mayors' courts.

The common pleas court is the most important of the trial courts. It is the court of general jurisdiction—almost any civil or criminal case, serious or minor, may first be brought there. In criminal matters, the common pleas courts have exclusive jurisdiction over felonies (a felony is a serious crime for which the penalty is a penitentiary term or death). In civil matters it has exclusive jurisdiction in

-probate,

-domestic relations

-and juvenile matters.

The probate division deals with wills and the administration of estates, adoptions, guardianships. It grants marriage licenses to perform marriages.

The domestic division deals with divorce, alimonу and child custody.

The juvenile division has jurisdiction over delinquent, unruly or neglected children and over adults, who neglect, abuse or contribute to the delinquency of children. When a juvenile (any person under 18) is accused of an offence, whether serious or minor, the juvenile division has exclusive jurisdiction over the case.

The main job of courts of appeal is to review cases appealed from trial courts to determine if the law was...