From Feb. 13-19, state supreme courts issued 233 opinions nationally. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued the most with 77. State supreme courts in 12 states issued none. State supreme courts have issued 1,067 opinions in 2023.
Courts in states with a Republican trifecta issued 82 opinions, while courts in states with a Democratic trifecta issued 49. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Courts in states where neither party holds trifecta control issued 102 opinions. Courts where judges are elected issued 165 opinions, while courts whose members are appointed issued 68.
Nationally, state supreme courts issued 9,243 opinions in 2022 and 10,133 in 2021. Courts in states with a Republican trifecta have issued 453 opinions this year, while courts in states with a Democratic trifecta have issued 240. Courts in states where neither party holds trifecta control have issued 374 opinions. Courts where judges are elected have issued 683 opinions this year, while courts whose members are appointed have issued 384.
Each state within the United States, plus the District of Columbia, has at least one supreme court, or court of last resort. Oklahoma and Texas both have two courts of last resort, one for civil appeals and one for criminal appeals. The supreme courts do not hear trials of cases. They hear appeals of the decisions made in the lower trial or appellate courts. The number of justices on each court varies between five and nine from state to state.
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