The Courts There are two types of law - civil and criminal Criminal - state or federal prosecutors bring a case against a person charged with a major crime, called a felony. Civil - deals with lawsuits brought by individuals or the government against other individuals, organizations or companies. The court system has two branches - state and federal. These branches operate separately and are independent of other branches of the government.

In any given year, the vast majority of trials are held in state Superior Court. The nearest state Superior Court to us is the courthouse in Doylestown. State Superior Courts are where non-federal felony trials are heard.

What's the difference between a state case and a federal case?

Just as state legislators pass laws that define and penalize crimes under state law, Congress defines and penalizes acts that constitute federal crimes.

Read about state courts vs. federal courts.

Cases prosecuted in the federal court system involve violations of federal law, crimes committed on federal property, crimes committed against federal employees, and large-scale criminal enterprises that would be unwieldy to prosecute in a state court, such as international drug cartels.

What kinds of cases does the Supreme Court hear?

The state Superior Courts are where the courts are most backlogged, and this backlog makes plea-bargaining necessary.

You need to understand why plea bargaining is such an important part of the court system, especially in an era when the U.S. has record rates of incarceration.

Read why plea bargains are made.

Video: Plea Bargaining in America: An Overview & Conversation

Video: Why Innocent People Plead Guilty

The Innocence Project

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