criminal courts
Felony trial locations
Criminal courts are the part of the judicial system that handles cases involving crimes—offenses against the state rather than disputes between private parties.
They determine guilt or innocence and impose sentences on those convicted.
The term distinguishes these courts from civil courts, which handle lawsuits, contracts, and other non-criminal matters: The case was referred to the criminal courts after prosecutors filed charges.
- felony chargesAccusations of major crimes
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- opening statementFirst formal address
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- judgeOne who decides
defendant · defense attorney · theft · due process · burden of proof · prosecutor · assault · constitutional rights · jury deliberation · guilty verdict · not guilty · sentencing guidelines · cross-examination · witness stand · discovery phase · magistrate · presumption of innocence · bailiff
- courtsmagistrates, tribunals
- criminal justicearrest, jail, prison, guilty, trial
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
- legal historylegal history, medieval law, Roman law, Roman jurisprudence, common law
- African lawindigenous law, attorney general, penal code, statutory law, legal practitioner
- French LawNapoleonic Code, magistrates, judiciary, prosecutors, advocates
criminal courtscivil courts
Courts handling private disputes
family courts · probate courts · small claims courts · housing courts · juvenile courts
criminal courtsmediation
Intervention to resolve conflict
arbitration · out-of-court settlement · plea bargaining · tribal councils · village elders