One of the most common misperceptions I have heard over the years is that “really serious” crimes go to federal court while less serious crimes go to state court. I can’t tell you the number of times people have asked me what the difference is between state and federal court, only to tell me that they have always assumed that federal court was for more serious crimes. While it is true that federal court often has more serious consequences, and the investigations are often more complex, the seriousness of the crime itself has nothing to do with state or federal prosecution; the issue is jurisdiction. I’d like to take a few paragraphs to briefly explain the difference.

State Court

Each of the 50 states enacts its own criminal code or set of criminal laws, although many laws are nearly identical from state to state. ... (click here to read more)