SECTION 1. COURTS
The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, an Appellate Court and Circuit Courts.
SECTION 9. CIRCUIT COURTS - JURISDICTION
Circuit Courts shall have original jurisdiction of all justiciable matters except when the Supreme Court has original and exclusive jurisdiction relating to redistricting of the General Assembly and to the ability of the Governor to serve or resume office. Circuit Courts shall have such power to review administrative action as provided by law.
MD
Constitution art. IV
SECTION 1. The Judicial power of this State is vested in a Court of Appeals, such intermediate courts of appeal as the General Assembly may create by law, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, and a District Court.
SEC. 20. (a) There shall be a Circuit
Court for each county and for
MD Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings, § 1-501 Jurisdiction and scope of power
The circuit courts are the highest common-law and equity courts of record exercising original jurisdiction within the State. Each has full common-law and equity powers and jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases within its county, and all the additional powers and jurisdiction conferred by the Constitution and by law, except where by law jurisdiction has been limited or conferred exclusively upon another tribunal.
PA
Const. art. V
Unified Judicial System
Section 1. The judicial power of the Commonwealth
shall be vested in a unified judicial system consisting of the Supreme Court,
the Superior Court, the
Courts of Common Pleas
Section 5. There shall be one court of common pleas for each judicial district (a) having such divisions and consisting of such number of judges as shall be provided by law, one of whom shall be the president judge; and (b) having unlimited original jurisdiction in all cases except as may otherwise be provided by law.
VA
Const. Art. VI,
§ 1. Judicial power; jurisdiction
The judicial power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Supreme Court and
in such other courts of original or appellate jurisdiction subordinate to the
Supreme Court as the General Assembly may from time to time establish. Trial
courts of general jurisdiction, appellate courts, and such other courts as shall
be so designated by the General Assembly shall be known as courts of record.
Va. Code Ann. § 17.1-513- Jurisdiction of circuit courts
The circuit courts shall have jurisdiction of proceedings by quo warranto or information in the nature of quo warranto and to issue writs of mandamus, prohibition and certiorari to all inferior tribunals created or existing under the laws of this Commonwealth, and to issue writs of mandamus in all matters of proceedings arising from or pertaining to the action of the boards of supervisors or other governing bodies of the several counties for which such courts are respectively held or in other cases in which it may be necessary to prevent the failure of justice and in which mandamus may issue according to the principles of common law. They shall have appellate jurisdiction in all cases, civil and criminal, in which an appeal may, as provided by law, be taken from the judgment or proceedings of any inferior tribunal.
They shall have original and general jurisdiction of all cases in chancery and civil cases at law, except cases at law to recover personal property or money not of greater value than $100, exclusive of interest, and except such cases as are assigned to some other tribunal; also in all cases for the recovery of fees in excess of $100; penalties or cases involving the right to levy and collect toll or taxes or the validity of an ordinance or bylaw of any corporation; and also, of all cases, civil or criminal, in which an appeal may be had to the Supreme Court. They shall also have original jurisdiction of all indictments for felonies and of presentments, informations and indictments for misdemeanors.