Superior court is a court of general jurisdiction (authority) in many states of the United States. As a court of general jurisdiction, a superior court is the major trial court of a county, state, or other political unit. Such a court hears many types of cases, including those involving criminal, civil, and family law, and other cases. The cases range from such serious crimes as murder, robbery, and drug possession to cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, and domestic violence.
A superior court has more authority than many other courts in the state, except an appellate court, or court of appeals . Appellate courts are courts that review the decisions of trial courts if the losing side questions the ruling of the trial court on a matter of law.
In the United States, states have the power to establish their own court systems and to select the name for a court. In some states, superior courts are known as district courts , circuit courts, courts of common pleas, or (in New York) supreme courts.
Regardless of their name, superior courts are the courts where trials are held. If the trial is a criminal case, the state is represented by a prosecuting attorney or district attorney (also called state’s attorney). The defendant is represented by a private attorney or by a public defender if the defendant cannot afford a private attorney. If the trial is a civil case, each side is represented by a private attorney.
Trials in superior courts can be either jury trials or bench trials. A bench trial is a trial in which the judge makes the decision. A recording is made of everything that is said or presented as evidence in a superior court. If the case is appealed to an appellate court, only the evidence and testimony in the recording can be used. No new evidence or testimony are allowed in appellate proceedings.
The manner in which trials are conducted in superior courts is governed by strict rules of procedure. The Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state in which the court is located also establish certain rules that must be followed. Such procedures are especially important for criminal trials, because several amendments to the U.S. Constitution strictly forbid certain types of evidence from being used in a trial against a defendant. If the trial judge makes a mistake and does not ensure that both sides follow the rules of procedure, the judge’s decision can be reversed (overturned) if the case is appealed.
