Final answer:
Courts of general jurisdiction typically involve both a judge and jury for criminal cases, but noncriminal cases may be judged alone. Unhappy parties from the trial court's decision have the right to appeal to a higher court. Federal courts handle cases dealing with federal law or issues spanning state boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Courts of general jurisdiction most often involve both a judge and a jury. The jury's role is to determine guilt, while the judge is responsible for determining the penalty. On occasions where a jury is not involved, typically in noncriminal cases such as traffic court or small claims court, the judge makes the decision alone. Should either party be dissatisfied with the trial court's verdict, they have the option to appeal the case to a higher court. This could be a special appellate court or the state supreme court, depending on the state's judicial system structure.
State courts can have up to three levels: trial courts, appellate courts, and state supreme courts. The appellate courts are responsible for hearing appeals from lower courts. If a case concerns federal law or issues that cross state boundaries, it may be brought before the federal court system, which has its own structure including district courts, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Federal courts specifically handle cases that concern federal law, disputes between states, international issues, or governmental matters. The U.S. Supreme Court has the ability to exercise either original or appellate jurisdiction depending on the case. Only certain cases, such as those that can be heard in either state or federal courts due to diverse citizenship, are said to have concurrent jurisdiction.