The DC Superior Court is formally known as the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. The DC Superior Court is the local trial court for the District of Columbia which has jurisdiction over cases involving violations of criminal and civil law. Additional areas of jurisdiction for the DC Superior Court include special cases of family court, disputes between landlords and tenants, probate law, tax law, and traffic offenses.
If an appeal is filed against a ruling of the DC Superior Court, it is handled by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
The DC Superior Court was established as a court of general jurisdiction for the District of Columbia by an Act of the United States in 1970. The sitting members of the DC Superior Court include a chief judge and 61 associate judges, as well as the service of 24 magistrate judges and retired judges who have become senior judges.
When the Government must become involved in proceedings that take place in DC Superior Court, the Government is represented by either the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General.
There are eight divisions of the DC Superior Court. These divisions are:
· The Civil Division,
· The Criminal Division,
· The Family Court Operations Division,
· The Domestic Violence Unit,
· The Tax Division,
· The Probate Division or Office of the Register of Wills,
· The Family Court 00 Social Services Division,
· The Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division, and
· The Special Operations Division.