Judicial review has three functions. First, it allows justice to be served by striking down erroneous decisions by lower courts. Second, appellate courts monitor the performance of lower courts; lower courts have an incentive to apply the law correctly if the possibility exists that their decisions may be overturned. Third, important controversies regarding the law are examined and resolved for th…
The structure of state court systems varies widely. Some states have separate civil and criminal trial courts, and some have more than one level of appellate review. Typically, however, aside from special courts of limited jurisdiction, a three-tier structure can be discerned: the trial court level, the appellate level, and the state supreme court, which mirrors that of the federal system of distr…
The jurisdiction of the Court to hear cases is of two types: original and appellate. Cases of original jurisdiction are those for which the Supreme Court is the court of first rather than last resort, such as suits between states; that is, the Court is the trial court for these cases. Other examples of original jurisdiction are certain limited appeals from cases involving the reapportionment of le…
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