State courts handle cases under state law and have broader powers than federal courts. They enforce state rules and laws, establish case law, and are necessary when the federal government cannot rule on an issue. Cases arising under state law must go to state court, with exceptions for diversity jurisdiction.
A state court is a court operated by a particular state and which handles cases arising under state law. It is distinct from a federal court, which is a limited-jurisdictional court in the United States. State courts have the broad authority to handle numerous cases for residents within their state’s borders.
Under the US Constitution, Article III only mandated the creation of the Supreme Court, which is a federal court. Article III states: “The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in a Supreme Court and such inferior courts as Congress may from time to time enact and establish…” The other courts of the federal system, as well as all state courts, they were created through the voluntary efforts of the legislator. These courts now play an important role.
State courts have, in many ways, broader powers than federal courts. The power of a state court to hear a case and to establish and enforce state rules and laws derives from the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It reads: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved respectively to the States, or to the people”. This means that unless the Constitution expressly grants the federal government the power to make a given law, the federal government has no authority to regulate a given matter. Instead, this matter must be governed by state laws and regulations.
When the state makes a law or regulation, or when an issue arises within a state that the federal government cannot rule on, someone has to make the decision. This is where state court comes into play. The state court can enforce rules set by state legislators. It can also establish rules — in the form of case law — that apply within the borders of the state.
If a case arises under state law, it must go to state court. This rule exists due to the limited powers of the federal government. An exception exists when individuals from two different states have a legal dispute arising under state law where more than $10,000 US Dollars (USD) is at stake. In such situations, there is diversity jurisdiction, which allows federal court to hear and decide the matter, even though it arises under state law. In other cases, if the rule was enacted by the state, the state court must interpret and enforce it.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
