California Court system has a particular organizational structure. These courts take up all legal proceedings with regard to the cases. In the unified court system of California, all cases are dealt in the Superior Courts. It is the case type that determines what court would deal with the particular case. The different categories of Superior Courts are criminal, civil, probate, family, traffic, juvenile, drug and small claims. Each court deals with a particular type of case only.
The California Courts are categorized into two sections; Trial Courts and Appellate Courts. These Trial Courts are what are known as the Superior Courts. The testimony of the cases and the evidence provided are examined at these courts and the decision is taken on their basis. The facts of the case form the base and then the law is applied to reach a decision. The Superior Courts handle a number of cases. The specifications of these cases are as follows:
- Civil cases: including probate, family and juvenile cases
- Criminal cases: misdemeanors, felonies and traffic related cases
- Appeals in misdemeanor cases
- Appeals of civil cases and small cases that are within the value of $25,000
Another important sub-category of California Courts is the Appellate Courts. The Courts of Appeals in California act as the intermediate review courts. In cases where a party is not satisfied with the decision taken in the Trial Court they can go to the Court of Appeals for a review of the decision. This however does not mean new trials; it is simply a review to check whether any errors occurred in the judgment. Each party is asked to present their case and they also need to answer the questions asked.
California Court of Appeals does not hold the authority to review cases where a death penalty has been given. No witnesses or jury is involved in the functioning of the Court of Appeals. A panel comprising 3 judges (called justices) is formed to judge an appeal. The decision of the Court of Appeals may agree or disagree completely or partially with the decision of the Trial Courts. The decision of the Court of Appeals is not a judgment but an ?opinion'.
In the state of California, Courts Of Appeals are located at particular places. The 1st District Court of Appeals is at San Francisco, the 2nd District Court of Appeals is at Los Angeles, the 3rd District Court of Appeals is at Sacramento, the 4th District Court of Appeals is at San Diego (Division One), the 5th District Court of Appeals is at Fresno and the 6th District Court of Appeals is at San Jose.
The highest court in the state of California is the Supreme Court. It has the authority to review all cases decided by the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of California directly deals particular cases involving death penalty. Moreover, disciplinary cases that involve important individuals are also dealt with at the California Supreme Court. The number of Justices of the Supreme Court is 7. Among these 7, 4 must agree on a decision to make it valid.
The Justices of the California Supreme Court are either lawyers who have qualified the California Bar Examination or are judges at the court of records for a minimum of 10 years. They serve a term of 12 years as Supreme Court Justices. The Governor appoints them, after which they need confirmation from the voters that is done at the general elections held the next year. It is only after the voters confirm them that they can be re-elected as well.
The Judicial Council of California is responsible for the administration of California Courts. California Court Records are accessible to the public for use. The government website gives all information regarding a court case including all details. Public Access to Court Electronic Records or PACER is also a reliable source of information when it comes to checking California Court Records. A number of non-government websites are also there which offer information about these cases.
