COURT STRUCTURE
FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL
United States Court Structure
U. S. Supreme Court
Texas
Supreme
Court
Texas Court
of Criminal
Appeals
Texas Court of Appeals
5th Circuit Court
Texas District Court
U. S. District
Courts
Frisco & Collin County
Courts
U.S. District Courts
CREATED IN 1789 BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS
Not mentioned in the Constitution.
JURISDICTION: power of the court to hear a case.
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OR TRIAL COURT - 99%
APPELLATE JURISDICTION
1 – 27 JUDGES PER COURT FOR A TOTAL OF 600
JUDGES
95% OF THE CASES END AT THIS LEVEL
CAN USE PETIT JURIES
LOCAL FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS – EASTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT – SHERMAN
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT - PLANO
U.S. Circuit Courts of
Appeal
APPELLATE JURISDICTION ONLY
12 CIRCUITS AND APPROXIMATELY 179 JUDGES
6 – 28 JUDGES PER COURT
CREATED BY CONGRESS IN 1891
NO GUILT OR INNOCENCE ONLY QUESTIONS OF LAW
DECISION OPTIONS:
REVERSE THE DECISION
UPHOLD THE DECISION
SEND THE CASE BACK TO THE LOWER COURT FOR A
NEW TRIAL
United States Supreme Court
Only court mentioned by name in the Constitution.
JURISDICTION:
ORIGINAL:
AMBASSADORS INVOLVEMENT
PARTIES INCLUDE A STATE
APPELLATE: 99% OF CASES HEARD
OVER 7,000 FILED PER YEAR AND ROUGHLY
75 ACTUALLY HEARD BY THE COURT
9 JUSTICES
FINAL AUTHORITY ON THE CONSTITUTION!!!
TEXAS HIGH COURTS
9 JUSTICES 6 YEAR TERM
TEXAS SUPREME COURT
CIVIL CASES ONLY
TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
CRIMINAL CASES
TH
5
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS
DALLAS, TX
14 TOTAL COURTS IN UNITED STATES
APPELLATE JURISDICTION
NO JURY TRIAL OR NEW EVIDENCE
ADDRESSES ANY LEGAL PROBLEMS
THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE
JURY TRIAL
TEXAS STATE COURTS
9 STATE DISTRICT COURTS FOR COLLIN COUNTY
199 219 296 360 401 416 417 429 366
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION INVOLVING A TRIAL
AND A JURY
JURISDICTION:
1. CRIMINAL CASES
2. CIVIL CASES DEALING WITH MORE THAN $200
3. FAMILY AND JUVENILE COURTS
CITY & COUNTY COURTS
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES
CITY:
1. MUNICIPAL
2. TRAFFIC COURT
3. MISDEMEANOR CRIMES
COUNTY:
1. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
2. PROBATE COURTS (WILLS)
3. JUVENILE COURT