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 Tennessee, criminal courts are specialized trial courts that handle criminal cases exclusively. These courts have the authority to preside over criminal prosecutions and typically have exclusive jurisdiction over criminal matters within their respective counties. Tennessee also has a system of appellate courts that review decisions from the trial courts. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that hears appeals in criminal cases from the lower courts. For cases that require further review beyond the intermediate appellate level, the Tennessee Supreme Court serves as the court of last resort for both civil and criminal matters, including those that have been heard by the Court of Criminal Appeals. Unlike Texas, where there is a separate Court of Criminal Appeals that serves as the highest court for criminal cases, Tennessee's Supreme Court is the ultimate appellate court for all types of cases in the state.