Alaska
From Judgepedia
Alaska's court system is four-tiered. The supreme court and appeals court are the state's appellate courts; the superior courts and district courts serve as trial courts.
Contents |
Appellate Courts
The Alaska Supreme Court hears appeals from lower courts and administers the state's judicial system. It has final appellate jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters.
The Alaska Court of Appeals was created in 1980 by the Alaska Legislature. It has the authority to hear criminal and quasi-criminal appeals, appeals of wrongful conviction, and probate and parole appeals. Criminal defendants can choose whether or not to have their appeals heard by the superior court or court of appeals. "A defendant who appeals from district court to superior court can ask the court of appeals to review the resulting decision of the superior court, but the court of appeals may, in its discretion, refuse to hear the appeal."[1]
The Court of Appeals' jurisdiction includes the following: criminal prosecutions, post-conviction relief, juvenile delinquency, extradition, habeas corpus, probation and parole, bail, and the excessiveness or lenience of a sentence.
Trial Courts
The superior court system has general trial court jurisdiction. It has the authority to hear all cases--criminal or otherwise--excepting cases that might be brought in front of a district court (superior courts rarely hear these).
District courts, on the other hand, have limited trial court jurisdiction. They routinely hear the following types of cases:[2]
- state misdemeanors and violations of city and borough ordinances
- first appearances and preliminary hearings in felony cases
- civil cases valued up to $100,000
- small claims cases ($10,000 maximum)
- cases involving children on an emergency basis
- domestic violence cases
And perform the following duties:
- issue summonses, arrest warrants and search warrants
- record vital statistics (in some areas of the state)
See Also
- Alaska Supreme Court
- Alaska Court of Appeals
- Judicial selection in Alaska
- Alaska judges in the news
- Alaska blogs
