They are often used when the offenses or affairs of the case are not limited to a single municipality. The Justice of the Peace, or JP, has jurisdiction similar to a municipal magistrate and is often called to preside over traffic or misdemeanor cases. The judges for the Superior Court of the State of Arizona are voted in elections with all similar county positions and serve a 4-year term. Also being handled by the Superior Court of the State of Arizona will be cases centering around equity, real estate, or complex cases involving concurrent jurisdiction where exclusivity has been established. They are also needed for situations needing forcible entry or evictions, misdemeanors, felonies, and any case in which the value of the property is $1,000 or more. There are 15 branches of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, one for each of the 15 counties. This includes everything from probate hearings and proceedings, to events of naturalization, and considerations of insolvency that do not require bankruptcy protection. The Superior Court of the State of Arizona is the court given general jurisdiction over most common legal matters in the state of Arizona. The governor appoints the judges based on merit, and they are then subject to a retention vote before serving their 6 year term.

The judges are selected from a bipartisan list created by a special commission. The Arizona Court of Appeals also holds jurisdiction over criminal matters that have not resulted in a sentence of capital punishment. They are also the arbiter of workers' compensation, tax court determinations, and unemployment benefits final determinations. The purpose of the Arizona Court of Appeals is to consider appeals in civil cases referred by the Superior Court of Arizona. It has two divisions with 22 judges divided by division, with 16 in Phoenix and 6 in Tucson. The Arizona Court of Appeals is an appellate court for the entire state of Arizona. The mandatory retirement age for Arizona Supreme Court justices is 70. They stand in a retention election after serving their first two years, and every six years thereafter.

Each justice at the supreme court level is appointed by the Arizona governor. There is only one Supreme Court, and it is located in Phoenix. The Arizona Supreme Court is the top-level state supreme court for Arizona. The final levels of Arizona courts will be the most local examples, such as municipal courts. The courts in Arizona are led by the state supreme court, followed by the state appeals court, and the superior courts which are assigned by the county.

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