Original Jurisdiction Definition

The authority of a court to hear and decide a case for the first time, before the case is reviewed by an appeals court. In the federal court system, the court of original jurisdiction is usually the United States District Court, though other federal courts sometimes have original jurisdiction to hear specific kinds of cases. State trial courts are courts of original jurisdiction in state court systems.

Courts of original jurisdiction hold trials, hear testimony from witnesses, and receive other kinds of evidence. A jury or the judge reaches a verdict which can then be appealed to an appeals court.