What is County Court?

A county court is a court which handles legal matters on a county level, in nations where counties are used as administrative divisions. The jurisdiction of a county court varies widely, and may be outlined in a variety of statutes. Citizens who have experiences in court often encounter court at the county level, and county courts are sometimes referred to as the “people's courts” because citizens of a county tend to take up legal matters in county court first. More advanced court divisions can include federal or national courts as well as state courts.

County courts can handle a variety of civil and criminal matters. In some regions, they primarily focus on minor issues, with higher courts handling issues such as felonies and major civil matters. Some examples of cases handled by county courts include traffic violations, family law, probate, juvenile matters if there is no separate juvenile court system, and violations of city or village ordinances.

Sessions in a county court are overseen by a judge who may be elected or appointed, depending on the law. Court judges usually need to be citizens of the counties in which they work, and they may need to be qualified lawyers as well. When juries are required for a trial, a pool of jurors is taken from citizens of the surrounding county. Some county courts employ several different judges at multiple branches for the convenience of citizens who may not be able to travel to a court located in the county seat.

Also known as superior or district courts, county courts see a great deal of cases in any given day. At all levels of the court system, visitors to the court are expected to adhere to certain standards of dress and behavior, whether they are audience members watching a trial, or witnesses who have been summoned to testify. Court etiquette includes traditions such as rising when the judge enters the room, and wearing conservative clothing which is not offensive or distracting. Violations of court etiquette can result in fines or jail time, depending on the mood of the judge and the nature of the offense.

The arrangement of the legal system varies greatly from nation to nation, so procedures for matters like appealing judgments made in a county court can be very different depending on where the judgment is made. In areas like the United States, the court system can vary radically from state to state, and from county to county. While state law may sketch out the rules for the court system, individual counties can handle legal matters slightly differently, as long as their court systems adhere with the spirit of the Constitution and traditional jurisprudence.