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 New York, criminal courts are primarily trial courts that handle the adjudication of criminal cases. These courts have the authority to hear and decide on matters related to criminal prosecutions within their respective counties. New York's criminal court system is structured with several levels, including town and village courts, city courts, the Court of Claims, County Courts, Supreme Courts, and Appellate Terms and Divisions. The New York Court of Appeals is the state's highest court and has the power to review decisions in criminal cases made by the lower appellate courts. Unlike Texas, where there is a separate Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters, New York's appellate system does not have a separate appellate court with exclusive jurisdiction over criminal appeals. Instead, criminal appeals are heard in the Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court and can be further appealed to the New York Court of Appeals.