The Supreme Court handles civil and criminal matters.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only criminal matters
• D. Only civil matters

Answer: (A)

In New York, the Supreme Court is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction. It handles civil cases across a wide range of disputes—contracts, torts, real property, probate, matrimonial actions, and more—and it also tries felony criminal cases. Misdemeanors and lesser offenses are typically handled in local criminal courts, not the Supreme Court. The highest court in the state is the Court of Appeals, which reviews decisions on appeal rather than trying cases. So the statement is true because the Supreme Court serves as the main forum for civil matters and for serious criminal matters (felonies), while being distinct from the Court of Appeals and from the courts that handle misdemeanors.