| Superior
Court
The Superior Court
is a trial court of general jurisdiction. The court has exclusive,
constitutional authority over felony cases, prosecuted by the
District Attorney's Office, cases regarding title to land, equity,
declaratory judgments, habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto,
prohibition, adoptions, and divorce. Except for certain probate
or juvenile matters, this court may exercise jurisdiction over
other cases concurrently with the limited jurisdiction courts.
This court is authorized to correct errors made by lower courts
by issuing certiorari and, for some lower courts, the right to
direct review by this court applies.
Magistrate
Court
The Magistrate
court's jurisdiction encompasses civil claims of $15,000 or less,
county ordinance violations, applications for and issuance of
arrest and search warrants, preliminary hearings, dispossessory
writs, and distress warrants. No jury trials are held in this
court. Appeals from this court are made to the Superior and state
courts.
State
Court
The State Court
is a trial court with limited jurisdiction covering misdemeanor
and traffic violations, prosecuted by the Solicitor's Office,
and all civil actions, regardless of the amount, unless the Superior
court has exclusive jurisdiction.
Probate
Court
The Probate Court
exercises jurisdiction in the probate of wills, the administration
of estates, the appointment of guardians, and the involuntary
hospitalization of incapacitated adults and other dependent individuals.
This court also administers oaths of office and issues marriage
licenses, gun permits, birth & death certificates, certificates
of residency, and accepts passport applications.
Juvenile
Court
Jouvenile Court
exercises jurisdiction in cases involving delinquent, unruly,
and deprived children under 17. Juvenile court has concurrent
jurisdiction with the Superior courts involving capital offenses,
custody, child support cases, and termination of parental rights.
Recorder's
Court
The Recorder's
Court has limited misdemeanor jurisdiction in the county's unincorporated
areas. The primary responsibilities of this court are traffic
offenses, zoning violations, and ordinance violations.
Administrative
Office of the Courts (AOC)
This body provides
administrative support to the superior, state, magistrate, probate,
and recorder's courts and acts as liaison between the citizenry
and the courts
|