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1、TheU.S.CourtSystem1.TheStateCourtSystemsEachofthefiftystatesoftheUnitedStateshasitsownsystemofcourts.Courtstructuresandcourtnomenclaturediffergreatlyfromstatetostate,butallthestatecourtsystemsexhibitwhatmaybecalledahierachicalstructure,thatis,apatternoforganizationinwhi
2、chthedecisionsof“lower”courtsmaybetakenforreviewtoahigherrankingtribunal.Ninetypercentormoreofthestate“cases”astudentreadsincasebooksareappellatedecisions,butalltheseappellatecaseswillhavepassedthrougha“trial”stageandperhapsanintermediateappellatestagebeforereachingthes
3、tate’s“courtoflastresort.”1)TrialCourtsof“Inferior”JurisdictionEverystatehasits“inferior”or“petty”trialcourtswithjurisdictionlimitedtocivilsuitsinvolvingrelativelysmallamountsofmoneyandtominorviolationsofthecriminallaw.Inmanyruralareas,thesecourtsstillgobytheancientname
4、,JusticeofthePeace(or“J.P.”)Courts;inthecities,theyaremoreoftencalledMunicipalCourtsorCityCourts.Theciviljurisdictionofan“inferior”or“petty”trialcourtisusuallydefinedintermsoftheamountofmoneyindispute;thusthejurisdictionoftheJusticeofthePeaceCourtmaybelimitedtoclaimsnot
5、exceeding$100,whileametropolitanMunicipalCourtmaybeempoweredtodecideclaimsupto$1,000.Similarly,thejurisdictionofan“inferior”criminalcourtislikelytobedefinedintermsofthemaximumjailsentence,commonlysixmonths,ormaximumfinethatmaybeimposedifthedefendantisfoundguiltyofthepar
6、ticularoffencecharged.2)TrialCourtsofGeneralJurisdictionIfacivilclaimorcriminalprosecutioninvolvesanamountofmoney,orapotentialcriminalsentence,beyondthejurisdictionofan“inferior”trialcourt,itmustbefiledandheardina“trialcourtofgeneraljurisdiction,”thatis,acourtempoweredt
7、otryallkindsofcases,withoutmonetaryorsubjectmatterlimitation.Everystatehasasetoftrialcourtsofgeneraljurisdiction,buttherearedifferencesinnomenclaturefromstatetostate.Insomestates,thetrialcourtofgeneraljurisdictionisknownastheSuperiorCourt(“superior,”presumably,tothe“pet
8、ty”courtsdescribedabove),inotherstatesastheDistrictCourtorCircuitCourt,namesreflectingthetypicaldivisionofthes
