Final answer:
The Texas legislature created the county courts at law to assist the constitutional county courts with caseloads in populous counties. They are not constitutionally established; their existence is due to legislative decisions to address local needs. The Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are established constitutionally, not by the legislature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Texas legislature created the county courts at law. These courts were established to aid the county constitutional courts and are designed to handle some of the overflow, particularly in more populous counties. Each county in Texas has a constitutional county court presided over by a county judge. However, not all counties have county courts at law, as these are created through legislative enactment to address local judicial workload needs.
Justice courts, also known as JP Courts or Justice of the Peace Courts, handle minor civil and criminal matters, such as small claims cases or misdemeanors. However, these are not specifically created by the state legislature; rather, they are established by the Texas Constitution itself. The two highest courts in the state, the Texas Supreme Court, which is the final authority in civil and juvenile cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court for criminal cases, are also established constitutionally and not by legislative creation.