County Courts

• County courts are the lowest level of courts in Florida that hold trials. Each county in the state has at least one county court and at least one county judge, with the maximum number depending on the size and population of the county. The county courts usually hold trials that decide minor disputes or misdemeanor offenses that have occurred within that particular county, such as traffic violations, local ordinance transgressions and civil action suits in which the total amount of money in dispute is not more than $15,000.
  
  

Circuit Courts

• The highest level of trial courts in Florida are the circuit courts. There are 20 separate circuit courts throughout Florida at time of publication, with each court comprised of one or more counties. Cases heard by circuit courts include civil action suits of more than $15,000, tax disputes, family law issues and all criminal cases for felony offenses such as robbery and murder. However, a circuit court has jurisdiction to try these more serious cases only if the violations occurred in the county or geographical region held by the court or if the defendant resides in the region of the court. Trials with two or more defendants that live in different counties or circuits take place in any circuit in which one of the offenders resides or in the circuit where the offense took place.
  
  

District Courts of Appeal

• When a defendant thinks that a mistake or error has occurred during his trial and desires to challenge the results, he files a motion in a court of appeals. In Florida, there are five district courts of appeal, and each court holds proper jurisdiction over regions that range from two to six judicial circuits. District courts of appeal generally hear appeals from circuit and county court decisions -- both misdemeanors and felonies -- involving alleged procedural errors. In the case of appeals, the judges in the district court analyze the case, hear from witnesses and evaluate the evidence to determine whether to overturn the previous verdict or uphold the original conviction.
  
  

Supreme Courts

• The Supreme Court is the highest level of all appellate courts in the state of Florida, and thus decisions made by the state Supreme Court are usually final. Comprised of seven judges appointed by the governor, the court has the proper jurisdiction to hear appeals from district court decisions. However, the Supreme Court reviews and decides which appeal cases it will hear, and denies a hearing to most of the reviewed cases. The primary types of cases heard by the Florida Supreme Court include state constitution disputes, bond validations and actions of statewide agencies that involve public utilities.