Final answer:
District courts handle most major criminal and civil cases; they are different from appellate courts which focus on appeals.
Step-by-step explanation:
District courts are the trial courts that handle most major criminal and civil cases, including murder, drug trafficking, contested elections, and civil cases involving high amounts of monetary damages.
These courts hear a range of cases, from felonies—which are the more serious crimes—to civil matters such as personal injury, malpractice, divorce, family, juvenile, probate, and contract disputes. It is important to distinguish district courts from appellate courts which mainly handle cases on appeal.