Do you know that Utah has different courts for varying types and severity of cases? More specifically, Utah has Juvenile Courts, Justice Courts; District Courts; Court of Appeals; and the Utah Supreme Court. The two courts I would like to focus on are the Justice Courts and District Courts and what differs between the two regarding the types of criminal cases they hear. Circumstances are considered illegal if an action violates criminal law and harms an individual, place, or the public.
The Justice Courts have limited jurisdiction as to the types of cases they may hear. Specifically, Justice Courts hear minor criminal cases and traffic citations. Justice Courts do have the authority to hear cases involving Class B or Class C Misdemeanors. They also listen to cases involving: Small Claims, Violations of Ordinances, and Infractions. Counties and municipalities establish Utah Justice Courts. You may be surprised to learn that Justice Court judges do not need to be licensed attorneys. Justice Courts are the first tier in Utah’s Judiciary System.
In contrast to Justice Courts, District Courts have general jurisdiction. District Courts hear all civil cases, all criminal felonies, and under some circumstances, higher-level misdemeanor cases and family and domestic violence cases. Criminal felonies include murder, rape, burglary, homicide, kidnapping, and arson – to name a few. District Courts also have jury trials and the ability to hear appeals from the limited jurisdiction courts. Currently, there are eight judicial districts in Utah. They are the second