What are state courts?

State courts are the courts established under each state's constitution that handle cases involving state law, including criminal prosecutions for state crimes, civil disputes between residents, family law matters, probate cases, and most traffic offenses. State courts are completely separate from the federal court system and operate under the authority of state constitutions and state laws. Each state has its own court system, organized differently depending on state tradition and constitution.

Most states have a three-tiered structure similar to the federal courts: trial courts at the bottom, intermediate appellate courts in the middle, and a state supreme court at the top. A few smaller states have only two tiers, with appeals going directly from trial courts to the state supreme court.

State trial courts handle the vast majority of cases in the United States. Estimates suggest state courts handle more than 80 million cases per year, compared to fewer than 400,000 cases in federal courts annually. State trial courts hear all categories of state cases, often through specialized divisions. These can include criminal courts, civil courts, family courts, probate courts, juvenile courts, drug courts, traffic courts, and small claims courts. Some states have unified trial courts that handle all matters; others have separate courts for different subject areas.

State trial court judges are selected in a variety of ways depending on state law. Some states elect judges in nonpartisan or partisan elections. Some states use a system called merit selection or the Missouri Plan, in which the governor appoints judges from a list provided by a nominating commission, with periodic retention elections by voters. Some states have judges appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate, similar to federal judges.

State appellate courts review decisions from trial courts. Each state supreme court has the final say on issues of state law within that state. State supreme courts are particularly important on issues of state constitutional rights, which can be broader than federal constitutional rights. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, for example, has interpreted its state constitution to protect rights that federal courts have not recognized, such as broader environmental rights.

State court rulings on federal constitutional or statutory questions can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but rulings on purely state law questions cannot.