Both federal and state courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases.
original jurisdiction
A court of general jurisdiction is one that has the authority to hear cases of all kinds - criminal, civil, family, probate, and so forth.
The difference is the type of case each court has jurisdiction over. The Supreme Court of Texas is the state's highest appellate court for civil and juvenile cases; the Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's highest appellate court for criminal cases.
In layman's terms...... Criminal jurisdiction is the "area" in which charges can be brought & heard or tried. The venue is what's referred to as the"court location" or "area" in which the proceedings do , can, or actually occur in. They are often one and the same, but when for reasons of local sentiment and publicity, it may be necessary for the defense to request a different venue, a judge & prosecutor may also deem or request such remedy accordingly.
To hear all cases, civil and criminal, which fall within their jurisdiction.
The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas is part of the state court system. Each county in Pennsylvania has a Court of Common Pleas, which is the state court with general trial jurisdiction. "General jurisdiction" means that it can hear all civil and criminal cases, though generally it only hears cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. For example, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court shares jurisdiction with Philadelphia Municipal Court over small claims cases under $10,000, but generally such a case would be handled in Municipal Court, while a civil case for $50,000 could only be heard by the Court of Common Pleas. Common Pleas Courts also generally handle all family law and probate cases. For more information on courts in Philadelphia, including Traffic Court and Community Court, and online court resources, visit the Philadelphia County Courts Guide related link.
Court of Common Pleas
The judge had exclusive jurisdiction in the region, but exercised that power very responsibly.
It means that that court can hear both criminal or civil cases. Either a criminal case can be filed and heard in that court, OR a civil case can be filed and heard in that court. For instance: most(all?) state circuit courts fit this description.
The court that deals about crimes and consists criminal law.
Unless you are referring to a violation of a local ORDNANCE, Municipal courts customarily do NOT have jurisdiction to hear criminal cases. To initiate a criminal case in a a STATE court of original jurisdiction you would have to first either file a report with the police for a criminal offense, or speak with the State Prosecutors office to initiate a case.