The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Courts
The highest court within the state judicial system in most states. It decides the most important issues of constitutional and statutory law and is intended to provide legal clarity and consistency for the lower appellate and trial courts. Most state supreme court also oversee the administration of the jurisdiction's judicial system.
State trial courts located in local judicial districts that have jurisdiction in all cases in equity, cases involving title to or possession of real property, civil cases, felony and misdemeanor cases, probate and divorce matters, conciliation and domestic relations cases, adoptions, psychiatric cases, juvenile cases and traffic cases as well as appeals from Justice Courts. Appeals from the state trial court level are heard in most states by the State Courts of Appeal or the State Supreme Court at their discretion. In some states, a distinction is made between municipal courts which hear civil cases involving monetary claims lower than an established amount and criminal cases involving infractions punishable by a fine but not imprisonment, misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings for felony cases; and superior courts which hear civil cases involving more substantial monetary claims, felony cases and other types of cases including adoption and family law matters, mental health cases, probate cases, and juvenile cases. In some states municipal courts are established by individual cities and have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations and exclusive jurisdiction over infractions of local ordinances.
Courts which serve as an alternative to Juvenile Justice Courts for youth younger than age 16 who have committed minor delinquent and status offenses or exhibit other problem behaviors. Youth whose cases are heard in youth courts are judged, convicted or exonerated and sentenced by their peers. Variously known as teen, peer, and student courts, youth courts can be administered by and operated by a variety of agencies within a community including law enforcement agencies, juvenile probation departments, juvenile courts, private nonprofit agencies and schools.