The Judicial Branch (Chapter 10) Exam Study Guide



The Judicial Branch (Chapter 10)

Study Guide

Important Terms and Concepts

▪ Appeal – to ask a higher court to review a decision

▪ Defendant – a party who answers a complaint in court

▪ Judge – person in charge of directing the courts proceedings

▪ Original Jurisdiction – the right of a court to hear a case first

▪ Plaintiff – an individual or group that brings a complaint against another party

▪ Precedent – guideline for how similar court cases should be decided in the future

▪ Prosecution – a government body that brings charges against a person accused of breaking the law

Characteristics of the Federal Courts

Reason for Federal Court Jurisdiction (refer to chart on page 221)

▪ Cases that raise constitutional questions

▪ Cases involving federal laws

▪ Cases involving American ships or planes

▪ Cases where the US government is the defendant

▪ Cases with a disagreement between two people from different states when more than $75,000 is in dispute

U.S. District Courts

▪ Workhorses of the federal court system; they handle the most cases

▪ In this trial court it is determined if people are guilty

▪ This court has a jury

U.S. Court of Appeals

▪ There are no juries or evidence examined. Instead lawyers argue their case in front of three judges that make a decision in regards to the case.

▪ In this court it is determined if errs were made in the previous court or not because the court has appellate jurisdiction.

▪ There are 12 U.S. Courts of Appeal throughout the United States. They are also referred to as Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Civil and Criminal Cases

Criminal Cases

▪ Criminal courts determine whether a person accused of breaking a law is innocent or guilty.

▪ Criminal cases are always brought to court by the prosecution or a government body

▪ Criminal cases can involve such topics as:

• Murder

• Manslaughter

• Arson

• Robbery

Civil Cases

▪ In a civil case the court settles disagreements between the two or more parties

▪ Civil cases are brought to court by a plaintiff(s) or people that issue complaints against another party

▪ Disagreements can be over such issues as:

• Auto accidents

• Broken contracts

• Divorce

• Violation of Constitutional Rights (freedom of speech, press, religion, etc.)

The U.S. Supreme Court

Important Concepts

▪ Current Chief Justice: John Roberts

▪ They are appointed for life and their decisions have far-reaching results throughout history

▪ Supreme Court justices and all federal judges are appointed by the President with approval of the United States Senate

• The Supreme Court Justices, and all federal judges, should not allow the wants/wishes of the President to affect their decisions on court cases

▪ They are the final say on what the Constitution and the laws of the land mean

▪ Final decisions are determined by majority vote of the justices

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