Judiciary Comparison South Carolina Florida and Rhode Island

South Carolina, Florida, and Rhode Island: Judiciary Comparison

The judiciary of my home state of South Carolina is structured on a hierarchical basis, with the Supreme Court at the top, and beneath the Supreme Court there lies the “Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Family Courts, the Magisterial Courts, Municipal Courts, Probate Courts, and Master-in-Equity Courts” (“South Carolina,” 2018, par.1). There are, however, separate family and probate courts. A unique feature of Carolina is the Masters-in-Equity, which are appointed positions by the state governor for the duration of six years who have jurisdiction over equity cases (“South Carolina,” 2018, par.2). In family and probate courts, there are no jury trials, but in the other branches of the judicial system, jury systems are used (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018).

The state of Florida likewise has a hierarchical system, with the Supreme Court presiding over the various lower courts: “five district courts of appeal, 20 circuit courts and 67 county courts” (Florida Courts, 2018, par.1). Florida is unique in that it has no separate family court system. Domestic violations and juvenile cases are tried at the circuit court level, as are probate cases (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018). Cases at the circuit court level are all jury trials, unless they are appealed (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018). County courts try small claims, traffic, and preliminary hearings and likewise offer jury trials (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018).

Rhode Island is made up of a Supreme Court, Superior Court, District Court, with separate courts for family-related matters, traffic court, and a separate worker’s compensation court (“Rhode Island,” 2018). Municipal courts try parking violations and ordinance violations (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018). In family courts, there is an allowance for jury trials, while in traffic, probate, and worker’s compensation courts, only a judge will preside (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018). Family courts may try both domestic violence incidents and juvenile cases (“State Court Structure Charts,” 2018).