1. State Courts By Kristy, Megan, and Tayah

2. Overview A state court is a court in the state judicial system and does not cover federal issues (issues that occur in 2 or more states). The cases heard involve state laws or interpreting the state constitution. Issues that are tried are cases when the crime is committed in one state. There are 70 state court systems. Cases can include but are not limited to: robbery, assault, etc. as long as it occurs within one state.

3. Atlanta Child Murders Between the years of 1979-1981, 29 children were kidnapped and murdered in Atlanta Georgia. This horrifying story is just one example of what kinds of cases state courts take. The cases can be as small as traffic cases and reach the extent of murder, as long as it remains in one state.

4. Jamal Anderson DUI Jamal Sharif Anderson, former Atlanta Falcons running back, was sentenced to 12 months of probation for a DUI. This case would be tried in a state court due to the fact that it occurred in state, and the seriousness of the crime is increased due to this being his second DUI in the past 10 months.

5. Jurisdiction State courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor violations, including traffic cases and civil actions, except when they fall into superior court jurisdiction. These courts hear almost everything that occurs in the state where the court is located. The political boundaries of the state court are within the state of Georgia.

6. Judges There are many judges in the state court system. Some of them are: Christopher E Ward, Flaine L Carlisle, and Calvin S Graves. These judges are elected by Georgia voters to be involved in the state court system. They can also be appointed by the legislature or governor for higher up positions. Usually the people who are elected/appointed have some prior political background. These judges serve 4 year terms.

7. What is the difference between federal and state court systems? Federal systems occur in two or more states and determine issues on a national level. State courts occur within the boundary lines of a state. However, just because it is a state court doesn’t mean it can’t have extreme cases such as murder and rape.

8. Citations Atlanta Child Murders: Wayne Williams Hopes for Appeal." 11Alive. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "Comparing Federal & State Courts." United States Courts. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "Ex-Falcon Jamal Anderson Pleads Guilty to DUI but Avoids Prison." Ex-Falcon Jamal Anderson Pleads Guilty to DUI but Avoids Prison. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. Judicial Council of Georgia. N.p., n.d. Web.. "State Court | Nolo's Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions." Nolo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.