State Court Systems

State court systems aren't too complicated. Each state has its own court system that is only to resolve problems in that state. Inside each state system, there are different levels of courts. Most cases start in atrial court. In many states, this is called a superior court. These courts deal with serious crimes and disputes over larger amounts of money or property.

It doesn't end there. A trial court's decision can be challenged in anappeals court. If the people involved still think a mistake was made, each state has a high court that can review decisions from an appeals court. The highest court in most states is called itsSupreme Court.

But waitthere's more! States often have a variety of lower courts that deal with small issues like traffic violations or disputes over small amounts of money. They can also have special courts that only deal with certain types of cases, such as juvenile courts, divorce courts, or "probate" courts that help distribute a person's stuff after they've died.

Follow the link and click your state on the map to see what your state calls its courts!

Webquest Link(s):

State Courts Map

Question(s):

List the different courts in your state.