A significant number of civil and criminal cases in Texas originate in the district-level courts. There are both civil and criminal district courts , which are considered the state trial courts of general jurisdiction. As courts of original jurisdiction, the district-level courts are where trials are held. The next tier of Texas' court system is composed of the county-level courts . The three different county-level courts are trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
Probate courts have jurisdiction limited to probate matters.
The municipal courts and justice of the peace courts occupy the lowest rung in the Texas court system. These courts are local trial-level courts of limited jurisdiction. Like the state courts, the federal system consists of trial courts and appellate courts. The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation and is made up of nine justices appointed for life. The Supreme Court hears appeals from the federal courts of appeals and from the highest state courts.