Courts with only original jurisdiction hear and

Courts with only original jurisdiction hear and resolve cases heard for
the first time only based upon the facts presented in evidence before the
tryer of fact (the jury or the judge).
Courts with only appellate jurisdiction review and determine cases heard
in lower courts based upon purported errors made in the application of
the law. Facts are not in controversy.
High court level: Texas has a bifurcated court system, a two-court
system, at the state’s highest level. The Texas Supreme Court is the
court of last resort in civil cases. The Court of Criminal Appeals has
final authority to review criminal cases. Both the Texas Supreme Court
and the Court of Criminal Appeals have elected chief justices and eight
justices who serve staggered six-year terms, and with qualifications for
election the same in both courts. Texas has two courts of last resort,
designed by the 1876 constitutional delegates to fragment political
power. The Texas Supreme Court is seen as probably the superior court,
as it develops administrative procedures for state courts as well as
hearing appellate civil cases from lower courts. The Court of Criminal

Appeals hears only criminal cases on appeal.
Intermediate appellate court level: The state’s intermediate level
appellate courts, the Courts of Appeals, sit in 14 districts covering the
state. Appeals are directed from district and lower courts in a given
court of appeals district to that particular appellate court. Appellate
judges are elected to six-year terms. In 2003, there was a combined total
of more than 12,000 cases on the dockets of the courts of appeals, with
more than 70 percent of the cases criminal appeals. Courts of appeals
hear both civil and criminal cases from district courts.
Trial Court Level:
District Courts : The district court is the primary trial court in
Texas. District courts have primary original jurisdiction over civil case
involving values of $200 to infinity. Civil cases with large amounts-in-
controversy are tried in state district courts. Divorce, title to land,
contest elections, defamation of character, contested probable matters
tried in district court. District courts have original jurisdiction in felony
criminal matters. In 2003, there were 420 judicial districts with at least
one judge per district, though large counties often have a number of
district courts—Harris county has 59 district courts. District judges are
elected in partisan elections to four year terms.
County Courts : Each county has a constitutional county court,
with the county judge elected countywide to a four-year term. The
county judge need not be a lawyer. The county judge also is chief
executive officer of the county, and presides over the county’s policy-
making body of the commissioners’ court. The county court shares
some original jurisdiction with both JP courts and district courts in civil
cases and its original civil jurisdiction ranges from $500 to $2,000.