District Courts operate in separate geographical jurisdictions and exercise both criminal and civil jurisdiction. In some metropolitan areas, the District Courts may specialize in either civil, criminal, or family law cases. From Violation to Conviction When a person violates a municipal ordinance or state law, the city or state law enforcement officer will generally issue either a complaint or a ticket. These are written orders to appear in court, which include a written statement about the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Complaint forms are usually issued for misdemeanors other than traffic violations, such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication, or other violations of local ordinances.
Traffic tickets are similar and are issued for violations of traffic laws.
Arrest warrants may also be issued, which are written orders to appear in court. Arrest warrants are usually issued as the result of some prior offense, traffic ticket, citation, etc. A Capias is a warrant issued for failure to appear in court, which usually requires that the defendant be arrested. If guilty or not contested, the judge may impose a sentence, or give probation, deferred adjudication, or deferred disposition. Probation means that the defendant is given a suspended sentence and is placed under the supervision of a probation officer for a specified period of time.