7.4. Structure of the Courts: State Courts

What percentage of criminal prosecutions in the United States do state courts handle?

What is the term for a court that has the authority to conduct felony and major misdemeanor trials?

While there is no federal constitutional requirement for it, the right for defendants to appeal their convictions is arguably implicit in which clause?

How do appellate courts typically differ in atmosphere from trial courts?

In a typical state court hierarchy, what is the function of a magistrate court in a serious felony case?

What is the term for the application requesting a discretionary review of a case by a state supreme court?

What happens when an appeal is made from a court that is described as a court 'not of record'?

In most jurisdictions, what is the extent of a defendant's absolute right to appellate review after being convicted of a felony in a general trial court?

What is the primary role of a general trial court in the state court hierarchy?

In addition to conducting trials, what other function does a general trial court serve?

What is the highest court to which a case can ordinarily be taken in a state judicial system?

According to the text, what was the original reason for the distinction between 'courts of record' and courts 'not of record'?

In a state judicial system with two tiers of appellate courts, the supreme court is at what level of the hierarchy?

If a defendant convicted in a general trial court loses their appeal in an intermediate appellate court, what must they typically do to get the state supreme court to hear their case?

What type of cases are handled by courts of limited jurisdiction?

What is meant by the term 'trial de novo'?

What common feature do all state court systems share, despite their variations?

In a three-level state court hierarchy with only one appellate tier, the supreme court would be at which level?

Why do most civil or criminal cases in states with a four-level hierarchy not get beyond the third level?

What is the natural route of appeal for a defendant convicted of a misdemeanor in a magistrate court?

A court of last resort in a state system is generally referred to as what?

According to Scheb's description, what is a characteristic feature of the setting where appellate judges hear oral arguments?

What is the primary activity of appellate judges when they are not hearing oral arguments?

Besides handling minor criminal cases, what other function do courts of limited jurisdiction perform?

A judicial system that has a magistrate court, a general trial court, and a supreme court has how many levels?

What type of review does a general trial court conduct for a misdemeanor conviction from a magistrate court that is 'not of record'?

Why was a 'trial de novo' considered a substitute for appellate review?

Which court in the state hierarchy is described as being 'predominantly a trial court' but also serving an appellate function?

Most states have court systems that are described as falling between which two extremes?

In the typical hierarchy described by Kerper, what is the bottom-level court?

What is the consequence of a state supreme court having discretionary appellate jurisdiction?

If a person arrested on a felony charge is first brought before a magistrate, what will the magistrate do?

The text describes state trial courts as 'busy, bustling places' while appellate courts are 'solemn and serene.' What does this contrast in 'feel' reflect?

How many appellate tiers exist in the federal system and in almost half of the states?

In a state system without an intermediate appellate court, a defendant convicted of a felony in a general trial court has an absolute right to a review by which court?

The trial de novo is described as not being a true appellate review because it does not do what?

What does a writ of certiorari, when issued by a supreme court, direct the intermediate appellate court to do?

Why do state courts play such a significant role in the U.S. justice system?

A state's court of last resort is commonly described as its what?

What is the typical composition of a state court system's structure?

The decor in state appellate courts is often described as formal and may feature what?

What ensures that a person arrested for a felony is not sent to a general trial court without sufficient cause?

A court system with an intermediate appellate court means that a felony defendant's absolute right to review extends only to which court?

What is the primary reason that a trial de novo proceeds as if the case had begun in the higher court?

What must all states provide for defendants regarding their convictions, even without an explicit federal constitutional mandate?

Which court level is commonly located in a state capitol building and has a complete law library?

What is the key difference between how a general trial court handles its own cases versus how it handles appeals from a magistrate court of record?

When a defendant petitions a state supreme court for certiorari, what is the most common outcome?

Which judicial body is commonly described as the 'first of two or the only general appellate court in the judicial hierarchy'?

What is the structural relationship between a court of general jurisdiction and a court of limited jurisdiction in a state system?