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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 Virginia, criminal courts are primarily structured with the General District Courts serving as the trial courts for misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings for felony cases. The Circuit Courts handle felony trials and any appeals from the General District Courts. Virginia does not have intermediate appellate courts with exclusive jurisdiction over criminal cases. Instead, the Court of Appeals of Virginia hears appeals from both civil and criminal cases. The Supreme Court of Virginia is the court of last resort in the state and has the authority to review decisions of the Court of Appeals and lower courts. The Supreme Court has discretionary power to decide which appeals it will hear, with some exceptions for cases involving the death penalty, which are automatically reviewed.

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Courts

criminal courts

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Virginia State Code

Virginia State Code

Courts

criminal courts

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