2021 Data Report Limited Jurisdiction


The Limited Jurisdiction page presents caseload, revenue, expenditures, and personnel summaries for the justice courts and municipal courts. Caseload statistics are compiled from monthly statistical reports submitted to the Supreme Court by the individual justice and municipal courts. Incomplete or inconsistent information, where detected, is footnoted. While the statistics are checked for mathematical accuracy, they are not audited by the Supreme Court. The numbers may not correspond to previously published data reports due to improved data collection and not all data may have been reported at the time the report was published. In addition, not all data collected is reported.

Justice courts have geographical boundaries (precincts) established by the board of supervisors in each county and follow voting precincts. Justice court precincts are larger than city or town limits, and typically incorporate an entire city or town, and pieces of other communities as well, except in Phoenix and Tucson. Justices of the peace (judges) hear traffic cases and certain civil and criminal cases and can also issue search warrants and hear domestic violence and harassment cases.

In Arizona, municipal courts are required by statute in incorporated cities and towns. They are also known as "city courts" or "magistrate courts". Municipal courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes and petty offenses committed in their city or town. They also have shared jurisdiction with the justice courts over violations of state law committed within their city or town limits. Municipal court judges (magistrates) hear criminal and civil traffic cases and violations of city ordinances and codes, but they do not hear civil cases. They can also issue search warrants and hear domestic violence and harassment cases.