State Court Subject Matter Jurisdiction - Explained
When can a state court adjudicate a particular case?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 20th, 2024
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What is the State Courts Subject-matter Jurisdiction?
General subject-matter jurisdiction means the state court may hear any type of case under state law.
The requirements are discussed below.
When does a State Court have Subject-matter Jurisdiction?
A state court of general jurisdiction has subject-matter jurisdiction in either of the following situations:
- an act violates a state criminal law and was committed within the state;
- a civil dispute involves a state law, or
- a citizen of the state is a party to a civil action.
Example: Tom is from Texas and Kay is from Kansas. Tom sues Kay in a Kansas court for a breach of contract that took place in Texas. Even though the breach of contract did not happen in Kansas, the court has subject-matter jurisdiction in the case based upon its personal jurisdiction over Kay as a citizen.
A state court with limited jurisdiction can only hear cases expressly allowed by the law creating the special court.
In most states, the state legislature will authorize special courts of limited jurisdiction.
These courts are commonly limited by the type of case that it can hear or based upon the dollar amount in controversy.
- Example: Magistrate court in Georgia, for example, cannot hear a lawsuit alleging more than $15,000 in damages because the amount exceeds the limits of its jurisdiction. South Carolina has a special circuit for family law cases.
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