Criminal defense in United States is both federal and state specific. The Supreme Court, established by the US Constitution, is the supreme judicial body of the country. However, the jurisdiction of Supreme Court is comparatively narrow and it is an appellate court. It might call cases from district and state courts for review.
It has the rights to dismiss any appeal against the state and district courts. In American judicial system, one court alone operates in almost complete confidentiality, its deliberations and decisions closed to the public.
State courts of US operate independently. In total there are 94 regional courts of appeals and district courts. The process of handling criminal cases varies from state to state. The federal criminal system might be like the state system, but there are some significant differences. United States Attorney's office has the capacity to offer more time and resources to prosecution compared to a state prosecutor. As far as academic credentials are concerned Federal prosecutors in many instances outscore their state counterparts.