¶ … Courts of California
Organization and Structure
California courts system is the biggest in the country, serving a total population of 38 million people, which represents 12% of the total population of the U.S. Many cases here begin at one of the 58 superior courts or a trial court which is found n every of the 58 counties in this state. There are over 500 court buildings in this state. The functions of these courts are to hear criminal and civil cases together with the family cases, mental health cases, probate cases, traffic cases and juvenile cases, among others. The next level of the judicial authority is found at the Courts of Appeal (McGovern & Greenberg 2014). The cases that come to this court are a review of the superior court decisions. Here, the legislature subdivided the geography of the state into six appellate districts. The third and the highest of the courts is the Supreme Court. The work of this court is to serve and review the decisions that are made at the Court of Appeal to settle questions and resolve conflicts arising from the decisions of the court of appeal. Moreover, the Supreme Court works to review the appeal in the case that the trial has imposed judgment...
The structure of the courts is as shown below:
Qualifications of a Judge
The requirements to become a judge for the appellate and the trial courts are the same in California courts. The candidates must have ten years of experience while practicing law or have become judges of a court of record. For the superior courts, the qualifications are the same as those of the judges of the appellate courts and the trial courts (McGovern & Greenberg 2014).
Selection of Judges
In California, two systems are used to select state court judges. The appellate judges of the state are chosen through gubernatorial appointment. The appointment is then followed by the confirmation by the Commission. The judges are selected based on a vote that is cast by the nonpartisan members, with the independent popular vote deciding whom to be taken as the trial judge. The term of the selected judges begins on Monday after January 1 following their appointment and selection (Maerowitz & Mauet, 2008). In the case that there is a vacancy at midterm, the governor appoints an interim judge who will serve until the next general election. The commission on judicial appointments…
