In Texas, the term 'bifurcated' describes the structure of the highest appellate system as consisting of two separate courts.

• A. Single court
• B. Two separate courts
• C. Three courts
• D. No court

Answer: (B)

Bifurcated means split into two parts. In Texas, the highest appellate system is described as bifurcated because there are two distinct courts that serve as the top appellate bodies for different areas of law: the Texas Supreme Court handles civil appeals, while the Court of Criminal Appeals handles criminal appeals. Each operates independently with its own judges and jurisdiction, so there isn’t one unified top court for all cases. The other options don’t fit because there isn’t a single top court for all matters, nor three, nor no court at the top.