How are rural courts organized and structured?
Several factors influence how rural courts are organized and structured. The first factor is the jurisdiction of the rural court system. A limited-jurisdiction rural court will be structured differently than a general-jurisdiction court. Limited-jurisdiction rural courts focus on traffic violations and small misdemeanors and seldom use juries. General-jurisdiction courts deal with more serious violations. The courts might be a specific type of court, like family or juvenile court. The basic components of rural courts are a judge, a court manager or court clerk, and chief deputies. Another factor influencing court organization and structure is the individual state’s contained laws or constitution. Each state can have a different court structure and jurisdiction limits. Rural courts that are part of the state court system tend to be organized and structured according to the state system. Such rural courts usually are more likely to make improvements to their structure, organization, and
