Jurisdiction is the power or authority of a court to hear and
try a case; the geographic area in which a court has power, or
the types of cases it has power to hear. Explained another way,
jurisdiction is the legal authority of a court to hear and
decide a case that arose in a certain geographic area or a
certain type of case. It is closely related to venue, which
refers to the specific court where it is most proper to have a
case heard. In a particular case, multiple courts may have
jurisdiction, and the rules of venue determine which particular
court with jurisdiction will hear the case. In the United
States, jurisdiction is separated into two separate types:
personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction. Personal
jurisdiction is the authority of a court to enter a judgment
against a particular person. Subject matter jurisdiction is the
authority of a court to enter judgments on a particular subject.
Some courts, such as federal district courts are courts of
general jurisdiction and can enter judgme