Criminal courts are usually trial courts with the authority to hear only matters relating to criminal prosecutions—and are said to have exclusive jurisdiction of criminal matters within the county, for example. And in some states there are appellate courts with exclusive jurisdiction over criminal appeals. For example, in Texas, the intermediate courts of appeals hear both civil and criminal cases, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for criminal matters, and hears appeals of criminal matters from the intermediate courts of appeal.

In Massachusetts, criminal courts are primarily structured with the District Courts and the Boston Municipal Court handling the majority of criminal matters, including misdemeanors and preliminary hearings for felonies. These courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases within their geographical area. For more serious offenses, the Superior Courts have jurisdiction and handle felony cases, including those that may carry sentences of imprisonment in state prison. Appeals from these trial courts are typically heard by the Massachusetts Appeals Court. For cases that require further review after the Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has the ultimate appellate jurisdiction. Unlike Texas, which has a separate Court of Criminal Appeals as the highest court for criminal matters, Massachusetts does not have a separate appellate court exclusively for criminal appeals; both civil and criminal matters are handled by the same appellate courts.