Each state has its own independent judicial system. State courts handle more than 90 percent of all criminal prosecutions in the United States. compared to federal courts. In this section, we examine the structure of state courts.

Although state court systems vary, there are some common features. Every state has one or more levels of trial courts and at least one appellate court. Most state courts have both courts of general jurisdiction, which conduct felony and major misdemeanor trials, and courts of limited jurisdiction, which conduct violations, infractions, and minor misdemeanor trials. Similar to the U.S. Magistrate Courts, states’ courts of limited jurisdiction will also handle pretrial matters for felonies until they are moved into the general jurisdiction court. All states have a court of last resort, generally referred to as the state Supreme Court. Depending on the state laws, the Governor is sometimes authorized to appoint Judges. The Governor can therefore use these appointments to make history. In Figure 7.11, Governor Inslee appointed Judge Mary Yu to the Washington State Supreme Court back in 2014. This was a historic moment for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Judge Yu became the first Asian-American, Latina, and openly gay person on the state Supreme Court (Governor.wa.gov, 2014).

Figure 7.11. Governor Inslee appoints Judge Mary Yu to the Washington State Supreme Court.

7.4.1 Hierarchy of State Courts

State trial courts tend to be very busy with lots of activity. On the other hand, Appellate courts tend to be solemn and serene places. There are three comparative differences between the state and federal court systems. They include: court structure, selection of judges, and the types of cases heard. (See link: Uscourts.gov Comparing Federal & State Courts, 2022).