Describe a typical state court system, uncluding some of the difference between the state and federal court system.

The Development of State Courts Each of the original American colonies had its own court system for resolving disputes both civil and criminal. In 1629, the Massachusetts Bay Colony created a General Court, composed of the governor, his deputy, 18 assistants, and 118 elected officials The General Court was a combined legislature and court that made laws, held trials, and imposed sentences. By 1776, all of the American colonies had established fully functioning court systems. Following the American Revolution, state court systems were anything but uniform. Initially, most states made no distinction between original jurisdiction (the lawful authority of a court to hear cases that arise within a specified geographic area or that involve particular kinds of law violations) and appellate jurisdiction (the lawful authority of a court to review a decision made by a lower court). Many, in fact, had no provisions for appeal