Trial judges usually wear a black robe and sit at a big bench at the front of the courtroom. Sometimes trials in these courtrooms have juries and sometimes the judges hear all of the testimony and decide whether someone is guilty or innocent or which side wins the case. Everyone accused of a crime has the right to have a jury trial, but they also have a right to let the judge decide instead. These judges preside over criminal trials and other kinds of trials, such as lawsuits. If someone hurts you in a car wreck, a trial court may decide how much money you should get to pay your doctor bills and replace or fix your car.
Trial courts help people resolve many different kinds of problems and disagreements.
They are the General Sessions, Juvenile and Municipal Courts. These are local courts, paid for by cities and counties. The law limits what kinds of cases come into these courts. For example, General Sessions judges conduct preliminary hearings in cases involving serious crimes, known as felonies. In some counties, the General Sessions Court judges also serve as Juvenile Court judges.