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[membersonly/archives/former_members/hultstrand.htm] There are s o many courts. It gets complicated, even for lawyers. Chuck tried to break it down for us this morning.There are two court systems, Federal and State. Most lawyers practice in one or the other. Federal Court: U S S upreme Court - They are particular about what cases they will hear. They usually pick cases involving the current hot topic or those in an area of law not yet addressed.U S C ourt of Appeals - They handle appeals from District Courts.
District Courts State Court: Arizona Supreme Court - They hear civil cases at their discretion. They must hear criminal cases. Court of Appeals - There are two in Arizona (Valley and Tucson) Superior Court - Every county has one. Justice Courts - There are 85 in Arizona. These are courts of limited jurisdiction (claims of up to $10,000). The judges here are elected. Municipal Courts - These courts hear minor misdemeanors (traffic tickets, dog bites). Lawyers are usually not hired for these cases. There are courts that are specific to certain areas of the law (Juvenile Law, Administrative Law, Probate Courts, Bankruptcy, etc). Small Claims Court has a limit of $2500. Cases are heard by a hearing office, not an elected official. There are no appeals. If you are concerned, hire a lawyer and have it kicked over to Justice Court. You m ust sue a person either in the precinct they reside or where the transactions occurred. One way to bring it to your area is to include a clause in your contract that states this.Still confused? The attached handout should clear things up :) INFORMATION FOR FILING A CIVIL CASE IN JUSTICE COURT INFORMATION FOR FILING SMALL CLAIMS CASES IN JUSTICE COURT
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