Whether a case is decided in a federal or a state court can be a very technical issue. A lawyer can advise you on this. The cases can be civil or criminal.
State courts handle nearly every type of case, subject to certain jurisdictional limits.
State courts handle most criminal matters, family law matters such as marital disputes, real estate transactions, and contract disputes. Federal and state court systems also have certain specialized courts. For example, the federal court system has bankruptcy and tax courts. Many states have specialized traffic, family, probate, or small claims courts. Federal courts are divided into three levels.