Kitsap County Superior Court State Of Washington: Fill & Download for Free

All courts have clearly-defined jurisdiction, which is the maximum breadth of their ability to hear cases and for their opinions to be binding. The problem with giving a straight answer here is that there are two ways that precedent can affect the outcome of cases -- it can be "binding" or it can be "persuasive". Generally speaking, court opinions are only binding on that court or courts structurally beneath it; those opinions may be persuasive in any other court, at any level.For example, here in WA we have:District Courts whose jurisdiction is misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and small claims within subdivisions of each county.Superior Courts whose jurisdiction is criminal felonies and general civil claims, who sit within a county.Courts of Appeals, sitting in divisions spread across the state, with appellate jurisdiction within their division.Supreme Court, with appellate jurisdiction across the entire state.The way this plays out (at the extreme) would be that a case starts in the Bellevue District Court, and is appealed to the King County Superior Court, then to the Division I Court of Appeals, and finally to the Supreme Court. Someone cannot appeal their decision in Bellvue to the Kitsap County Superior Court, nor can someone appeal their decision in King County to the Division II Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court, however, can hear cases from anywhere within the state.On top of the State system, you have the Federal system:Federal District Courts, divided by District geographically (for example, the Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington); there are currently 89 such courts in the 50 states, and an additional 5 in outlying territories.Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, divided into 11 circuits geographically, who can hear appeals from District Courts in their Circuit (and sometimes state courts within their Circuit).Supreme Court of the United States, with appellate jurisdiction across the nation.What you wind up with is a hierarchy of jurisdiction:Federal Supreme Court - Precedent is binding in every Federal court in the nation, and highly persuasive in state courts (sometimes binding, sometimes not).Federal Circuit Courts - Precedent is binding in every Federal District Court in the Circuit, and highly persuasive in state courts within the Circuit (sometimes binding, sometimes not).Federal District Courts - Courts of first impression, only persuasive in other Federal courts or state courts.State Final Appellate Courts* - Precedent is binding in every State court underneath them, and may be persuasive in Federal or other State courts.State Appellate Courts - Precedent is binding in every State court underneath them, and may be persuasive in Federal or other State Courts.State General Jurisdiction Courts** - Courts of first impression, only persuasive in other Federal or state courts.* and ** -- I used general terms here because the specific names may vary (and be confusing) depending on the state. For example, the final appellate court in New York is the "Superior Court" and the trial courts there are "Supreme Courts" whereas those names are reversed in WA and other states.