Criminal Justice in Action: Responsibilities of State and Federal Courts

Criminal Justice in Action: Responsibilities of State and Federal Courts

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Criminal Justice on Action Checkpoint
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Daisy MendozaApril 9, 2010 |

CJS/200
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Responsibilities of State and Federal Courts  
Federal court and State court are the two main court systems today. There are several levels of court that these two systems are made up to. Every court is limited in some way, one being jurisdiction. A state trial court has jurisdiction over residents over a certain area of the state, such as a county or district. The state supreme court has jurisdiction over the entire state, and the United States Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the entire country. Limitations on types of cases a court can hear are a subject of jurisdiction. State court systems include courts of general jurisdiction and courts of limited jurisdiction. General jurisdictions have no restrictions on the subject of the case. State courts deal with the most serious felonies and civil cases.
Lower courts known as, courts of limited jurisdiction handle misdemeanors and civil matters under a certain amount, usually $1,000. Misdemeanors could be crimes like disorderly conduct in public or public intoxication, or sent back to the court of original jurisdiction for a new trial. Written explanations from the judges play a great deal of the precedent in the criminal justice system.
Trial courts are original jurisdiction which is first instance, or trial courts. Every case begins in trial court; it is here that judges give a sentence if the defendant is found guilty. Trial courts are question are asked to find out what events occurred that are relevant to questions of the defendant’s guilt or innocence. Courts having appellate jurisdiction act as reviewing courts or appellate courts. Cases that are appealed by a one of the parties are brought here. Appellate courts do not use juries or witnesses to reach a decision, instead the judges make the decision if the case should be reversed or remanded.

The feral court system is three-tiered...

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