TRIAL COURT

court of original jurisdiction, where matters are to be litigated first and where all evidence relative to a cause is received and considered. All states differentiate between trial courts and appellate courts. The distinction is that it is the function of the trial court first to determine the facts and the law in a case, with the appellate court acting predominantly as a court of review of law, but not fact. Source: Barron's Dictionary of Legal Terms, Steven H. Gifis, 5th Edition; © 2016