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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