ABSTRACT
This chapter defines the law and discusses several key principles and concepts that underlie American legal thought and practice. It looks at the organization and structure of the judicial system in Texas. The structure of the Texas judicial system and the broad jurisdiction of the courts are set in the Texas Constitution. Texas judges and lawyers are required to be members of the Texas bar and to pay annual dues. The Texas bar is an agency of state government, a professional organization that looks out for the interests of the legal community, and a powerful interest group. Each of the fifty states, including Texas, uses municipal and county courts to handle minor civil and criminal matters. Trial courts are the courts of original jurisdiction that actually try cases: they hear witnesses, accept evidence, assess guilt, and declare appropriate remedies and punishments. Municipal courts deal with minor criminal matters for which penalties are fines but not jail time.
