Newsletters

The Jurisdiction of a State Court

Jurisdiction refers to the power of a court to hear and decide a case. The power of a state court to hear a particular case comes from the constitution and laws of that state. For a court's decision to be legally binding, the court must have both subject matter jurisdiction (authority to hear a case involving the type of legal matter at issue, such as a contract or a personal injury) and personal jurisdiction (authority over the parties to the suit).

Grounds for Sanctioning State Judges

Judges are subject to standards of judicial conduct. Their actions are required to conform to certain norms and standards that relate to impartiality and ethical behavior. There are codes of judicial conduct for both state and federal judges. This article discusses cases in which state judges have been sanctioned or removed for ethical violations.

Meaningful Access to the Courts for Self-Represented Litigants

The number of persons who represent themselves in court proceedings has increased significantly in recent years. The increase in self-representation is placing a strain on the court system. Individuals have a constitutional right to represent themselves, and the courts have a duty to make certain that all individuals have meaningful access to the courts. Family law matters, such as uncontested divorces or dissolutions and child support modifications, are common areas where individuals choose to represent themselves.

Settlement Conferences in Federal Courts of Appeals

There are 13 judicial circuits, and each circuit has a court of appeals. The federal courts of appeals are intermediate appellate courts. They hear appeals from federal district courts, which are trial level courts. In response to the ever-increasing volume of cases, some federal courts of appeals have adopted settlement programs in an effort to reduce the backlog of cases and accelerate the appeal process.

Appeal Bonds

In the federal courts and most state courts, the defendant has a right to appeal the judgment. In most jurisdictions, it is necessary to give a bond when appealing a case.