AP Style Supreme Court of the States

AP Style rules hold that you should capitalize state supreme courts with the state name and also without the state name when the context makes it unnecessary. For example,

  • the New Jersey Supreme Court
  • the state Supreme Court
  • the Supreme Court

If a court with this name is not a state’s highest tribunal, the fact should be noted. In New York, for example, the Supreme Court is a trial court. Appeals are directed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The state’s highest court is the Court of Appeals.

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