Which statement defines a court of original jurisdiction?

• A. the power to review the decision of a lower court.
• B. the power to decide a case when it is first heard by a judge or a jury.
• C. the power of the court to enforce its decision over a party to a lawsuit.
• D. the area governed by the legislative unit that created the court's jurisdiction.

Answer: (B)

Original jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear a case for the first time, handling the trial itself. This is where the facts are determined and evidence is presented, either by a judge or by a jury, and a decision is issued on the merits. This contrasts with appellate jurisdiction, which is the power to review a decision already made by a lower court—looking at whether errors occurred in the trial or in applying the law, rather than trying the case anew. The other options describe separate functions: one refers to review by a higher court, another to enforcing a court’s judgment, and the last to the geographic or legislative scope that established the court’s jurisdiction. So the statement that describes deciding a case when it is first heard by a judge or a jury best captures the concept of original jurisdiction.