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 Nevada, criminal courts are primarily structured with various levels of jurisdiction. Justice Courts and Municipal Courts handle lesser criminal matters, such as misdemeanors and traffic offenses, within their respective localities. District Courts, which are trial courts, have the authority to hear more serious criminal cases, including felonies, gross misdemeanors, and appeals from Justice and Municipal Courts. Nevada has one appellate court, the Nevada Court of Appeals, which handles cases assigned to it by the Nevada Supreme Court. However, the Nevada Supreme Court remains the court of last resort and has the authority to review decisions of the District Courts and, in some cases, the decisions of the Court of Appeals. Unlike Texas, Nevada does not have a separate court with exclusive jurisdiction over criminal appeals; both civil and criminal appeals are heard within the same appellate court system.