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 Washington State, criminal courts are primarily structured with trial courts known as Superior Courts, which have the authority to hear felony criminal cases, as well as misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors if they are associated with felony charges. These courts have general jurisdiction and can hear a variety of cases, but they are the only courts that can preside over felony matters, which are serious criminal offenses. For appeals, Washington has an intermediate appellate court system, the Washington Court of Appeals, which reviews decisions from the Superior Courts. This court has divisions that cover different geographic areas of the state. The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the state and has discretionary review over criminal cases that have been decided by the Court of Appeals. Unlike Texas, Washington does not have a separate court system exclusively for criminal appeals; its appellate courts handle both civil and criminal matters.