There are 3 branches of law, but various legal fields and accordingly, different types of courts. If you are preparing to enter into a litigious endeavor, whether if facing criminal charges, being sued in civil court, or something else, you should educate yourself on the type of court you will be in. Continue reading to learn some of the most common types of courts of law, and where to get more information regarding your legal issues.

Small Claims Court

Small claims court, also known as civil court, deals mostly with civil cases disputing small amounts of money. Civil law is the area of the American legal system that manages disputes or wrong-doings between private parties. A common example of such cases involves property damage, family law and divorce cases, disagreements over property ownership, breach of contracts, landlord cases, wrongful terminations, personal injuries, and similar legal matters. The dollar limit that defines a small claim is $6,000 or less. However, in Indianapolis, the cap is set at $8,000. Suing for more than these amounts in Indiana will require you to go through a different court system.

District Court

District courts are subordinate courts that hold trials for federal-level criminal cases, including general litigation issues and challenges to federal laws. They also deal with sentencing and hand down penalizations. District courts cover ninety four different geographic regions within the United States, including linked territories like Guam, the Virgin Island, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Although reserved for federal cases, there are some states, such as Florida and Texas, which refer to their state-level court systems as “district” courts. In a district court, a single judge resides over a case. Federal cases are first sent through the district court system, and then work their way up the judicial system depending on the outcome in district court. After a case is ruled on, the verdict can be appealed in appellate court, otherwise known as the circuit court system.

Circuit Court

Circuit courts are one step below the Supreme Court, which can send cases back to district or circuit court to be reviewed. They are also known as “Federal court of appeals” because they are appellate courts responsible for overseeing criminal appeals for cases arising from the district court system. Rather than handing down sentences and penalties, they oversee appeals on federal cases. Circuit courts exclusively cover thirteen administrative regions within the United States. In a circuit court, a panel of judges (usually 3) reside over a case, and then rotate through each of the 13 regions in the “circuit”, hence the name.  Since only about 1% of cases are accepted and seen by the Supreme Court, circuit courts basically set legal precedent.

Appellate Court

An appellate court is also known as the Court of Appeals, where verdicts are appealed. Appellate courts will take one of three actions: affirm, vacate, or modify. Typically, an appeals case is reviewed by a panel of 3 or more judges. They will go over all the details and aspects of your appeal and your appeal brief, before making a decision on your case. During this review hearing, defendants are not usually ordered or requires appearing in court. In place of you appearing in court during this time of review, the appeals court can set your case for “oral argument”, meaning your lawyer can verbally argue your case in front of the judges. 

Are You Facing Indiana Criminal Charges?

If you do not already have a licensed Indiana criminal defense lawyer working on your case, you need one right away. Contact David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law, at 317-636-7514 to start building a strong and impactful defense against your Indiana criminal charges so that you have a chance at avoiding the maximum penalties for your suspected crimes. Our law firm offers free initial consultations, so there is no out-of-pocket obligations to you.