CSP STAT is a collection of interactive dashboards providing a comprehensive look at annual state court caseloads. For further information about the data contained within the dashboards and instructions on how to download the data, please see CSP STAT User Guide. Data for state caseloads prior to 2019 was published in Annual Caseload Reports.
Trial Courts
Trial courts are courts that decide the cases brought before them; they are the first courts in which the cases are decided. Sometimes referred to as courts of first instance or courts of original jurisdiction, they are the courts in which civil, domestic relations, criminal, juvenile, and traffic/parking/ordinance violations cases are filed. For detailed information on case type definitions, please see State Court Guide to Statistical Reporting.
Jump to Appellate Courts.
Appellate Courts
Appellate courts operate within 1-tier or 2-tier state court appellate structures and hear appeals by right or by permission. Organizational variations in the nation's state judiciaries result in seven different appellate court structures. Appellate courts review cases appealed from trial courts, intermediate appellate courts (in states with a two-tiered structure), and administrative agencies; preside over original proceedings and disciplinary matters involving the bench and bar; and serve in a supervisory capacity in the administration of the lower courts.
