State courts have general jurisdiction , meaning they have the authority to hear and decide almost any kind of case within the state's legal purview. This includes a broad range of matters such as criminal cases, family law, contract disputes, traffic violations, probate, and other civil and criminal issues governed by state law
. In contrast, federal courts have limited jurisdiction and can only hear cases involving specific federal questions, constitutional issues, or matters explicitly granted by federal law. Examples include cases involving federal statutes, constitutional rights, disputes between parties from different states (diversity jurisdiction), bankruptcy, patents, and cases where the United States is a party
. Thus, the key difference is that state courts have broad, general jurisdiction over most legal matters within the state, whereas federal courts have a narrower, limited jurisdiction focused on federal law and constitutional issues
