Final answer:
Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction are the primary courts for hearing a wide range of cases, including criminal, with a judge and jury. Appeals can be made to higher courts if one party disputes the outcome. The U.S. has both state-level courts, typically including small claims and traffic courts, and federal courts, which encompass district courts, circuit courts, and specialized courts, such as the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims.
Step-by-step explanation:
Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction are the primary courts where criminal cases are heard. These courts have the authority to hear a broad range of cases, including both civil and criminal matters. Typically, a trial in these courts involves a judge and a jury, where the jury determines the guilt of the defendant, and the judge sets the penalty. On some occasions, the jury may also decide the penalty. An important aspect of the U.S. legal system is the right to appeal. After the trial, if the losing side, whether the prosecution or defense, disagrees with the outcome, they can appeal the decision to a higher court. Depending on the state, this could be a special appellate court or the state supreme court, commonly referred as the state supreme court.
While most people are familiar with large-scale criminal trials depicted on television, it's worth noting that most noncriminal cases are adjudicated by a judge alone, without a jury. Trial courts also encompass specialized courts for specific civil matters, such as traffic court and small claims court.
In the federal court system, the U.S. district courts act as the general-jurisdiction trial courts where they initially had limited jurisdiction, handling cases arising within their respective districts. Over time, their jurisdiction has been expanded by Acts of Congress, now including the ability to review federal questions and constitutional issues. The circuit courts, which initially served as trial courts for federal criminal cases and select civil suits, also had appellate jurisdiction over district courts, with circuit judges traveling to different locations to hear cases, which is the origin of the "circuit" name. Today, there are additionally specialized federal courts, like the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims, and special federal appeals courts, such as the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These specialized courts address more specific legal matters, and their cases can too be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, albeit this is a rare occurrence.