What is the first step in the state court system?

The first step in the state court system is the arrest. An arrest signifies the initiation of a legal process in the criminal justice system. It occurs when law enforcement has probable cause to believe that an individual has committed a crime. This action leads to various subsequent steps, including the arraignment, where charges are formally presented, and the prosecution process begins.

The other choices, while important in the legal sequence, do not represent the initial step. General session courts typically handle misdemeanor cases and preliminary matters after the arrest has already taken place. A trial comes after the arrest, where the case is presented before a judge or jury for adjudication. An appeal, on the other hand, is a process that occurs after a decision has been made in a case, allowing a higher court to review the decision of a lower court. Thus, the arrest is clearly the foundational first step in progressing through the state court system.