State and Federal Court Systems

State and Federal Court Systems
a brief description of your state’s court system. Be sure to indicate whether your state offers court cases online for free. If so, include the URL. Then briefly describe the state and federal cases you selected. Explain why each was heard in the court you chose and why each was heard at the federal or state level. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
"A healthy democratic society can exist only if the people of the State have respect for their legal system. That respect comes not from being awed by the system but rather, from understanding that system…" —Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, Mike Heavican (Source: Nebraska Judicial Branch, http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/)

While many countries have a single court system that works across a nation, the United States has a federal court system and a court system for each of the 50 states. Within the federal and state court systems, there are hierarchies of court levels and specialized courts that hear cases pertaining to specific jurisdictional matters. State systems may differ somewhat from the federal model, depending on the individual state. For instance, a particular state may have a greater or lesser number of appellate courts than the federal system. Understanding these differences will help you conduct legal research at the state level. It also will help you discern how to interpret published state case law in conjunction with federal opinions.