The state court systems are most often structured in what way?

The state court systems are usually structured the same way as the federal court system both of which may at first glance seem confusing but in reality it is not really that difficult as they both have several layers.

1. The first layers are the Courts of Special Jurisdiction and they are the courts designed to deal with specific cases like taxes and family cases like divorce and custody.

2. Trial Courts are the second layer and here most of the cases are first heard. They are the courts you would most likely find depicted in legal dramas. Trial Courts are divided into criminal and civil courts both dealing with certain matters which relate to the criminal and the civil law respectfully.

3. Next we have the Appellate Courts which review if there is need the decisions made by the lower tier courts like the trial courts.

4. Finally we have the Supreme Courts that are the highest legal authority both on the state and federal level. They are the highest ranking courts in judicial system and they deal with the cases even the appellate courts can't handle or are of state or national importance.