Changes

'''State court''' is a court established by state rather than [[federal]] law.  It is typically a court of general [[jurisdiction]], except when established by state law to handle only a particular type of claim, such as [[small claims court]].  State courts handle over 98% of all litigation in the United States.<ref>[http://public.findlaw.com/abaflg/flg-2-2a-4.html What sorts of cases do state courts decide?]</ref>

A '''state court''' is a court established by state rather than [[federal]] law.  It is typically a court of general [[jurisdiction]], except when established by state law to handle only a particular type of claim, such as [[small claims court]].

==Overview==

Since [[Article III]] of the [[United States Constitution]] limits the jurisdiction of the [[federal court]]s, all other jurisdiction remains with the state courts.  Also, some jurisdiction of the federal courts is non-exclusive, i.e., concurrent with that of the state courts.  As a result, state courts handle over 98% of all litigation in the United States.<ref>[http://public.findlaw.com/abaflg/flg-2-2a-4.html What sorts of cases do state courts decide?]</ref>  The jurisdiction of each specific state court is determined by the constitution and laws of that state.

The selection of state judges differs from that of federal judges; it also varies from state to state and, in some states, between trial and appellate courts.  State judges typically serve terms of a number of years.  Common methods of selection include partisan elections for each term and gubernatorial appointment for the initial term followed by retention elections for subsequent terms.<ref>[http://www.judicialselection.us/judicial_selection/methods/selection_of_judges.cfm?state= Judicial Selection in the States]</ref>

==Overview of organization==

A typical state court system has four levels:

A typical state court system has four levels:

*a [[trial court]] of limited jurisdiction, typically called a [[district court]], a municipal court, or a justice court;

*a [[trial court]] of limited jurisdiction, typically called a [[district court]], a municipal court, or a justice court;