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 Oklahoma, criminal courts are primarily structured with various levels of jurisdiction and responsibilities. At the trial court level, District Courts have the authority to hear criminal cases, which include both felony and misdemeanor charges. These courts are responsible for the adjudication of criminal prosecutions within their respective counties. Oklahoma does not have separate criminal courts at the trial level; rather, the District Courts handle both civil and criminal matters. For appeals, Oklahoma has an intermediate appellate court known as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. This court is the highest court in the state with exclusive appellate jurisdiction over criminal cases, meaning it is the court of last resort for criminal matters in Oklahoma. It reviews decisions from the District Courts involving criminal matters to ensure the proper application of law and procedure. Unlike Texas, where there is a separate Court of Criminal Appeals and intermediate courts of appeals that hear both civil and criminal cases, Oklahoma's system centralizes criminal appellate jurisdiction in one court.