The state court system has four levels of courts. Unlike most states, Alaska has no county or municipal courts. District court judges hear misdemeanor cases, felony cases before indictment, and some felony trials. Seventeen district court judges sit in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Palmer, and Valdez. The district court includes magistrates , who have fewer powers than a district court judge.
Magistrates hear cases in many small communities.
Superior court judges hear all felony cases and some misdemeanors. Judges may travel to smaller towns to hear cases and sentence offenders. The superior courts use masters to hold hearings and make recommendations to the judge in children's cases. The Alaska Court of Appeals is an appellate court, which means that it does not hear evidence or take testimony. These three judges review the decisions of lower courts and issue written decisions.