Judicial Branch Vocabulary

Cards (26)

  • Jurisdiction
    Legal authority a court or government has over a certain area or people
  • Original Jurisdiction
    The right of a court to hear a case for the first time
  • Appeal
    Asking a higher court to reverse a decision of a lower court
  • Appellate Jurisdiction
    The review of a case that has already been heard and decided upon by a lower court
  • Judicial Review
    The concept that something the executive or legislative branch does can be overturned by the judicial branch
  • Felony
    A very serious crime (e.g. manslaughter, murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping)
  • Misdemeanor
    A small crime that often results in the payment of a fine rather than jail time (e.g. assault, shoplifting, and petty theft)
  • Juvenile
    A person under the age of 18 in legal terms
  • Civil Suit
    One person suing another person or business in hopes of getting a financial settlement to pay for damages
  • Probable Cause
    The justification required for the police to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected individual or to conduct a search
  • Warrant
    A legal document issued by a judge or a magistrate that authorizes law enforcement officers to carry out a particular action related to the administration of justice
  • Bail
    The amount of money that a defendant must post in order to be released from custody until their trial
  • Arraignment
    A legal proceeding where a defendant is formally advised of the charges against them and is asked to enter a plea
  • Plaintiff
    The party who initiates a lawsuit against the defendant
  • Defendant
    The party against whom a legal action is brought, typically in a civil case or a criminal prosecution
  • Due Process of Law
    The legal requirement that the state must respect all the legal rights that are owed to a person
  • The 3 federal courts are:
    1. US Supreme Court
    2. US Court of Appeals
    3. US District Court
  • The only federal court with a jury is US District Court
  • The 5 Virginia state courts are:
    1. Virginia Supreme Court
    2. Virginia Court of Appeals
    3. Circuit Court
    4. General District Court
    5. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
  • The only Virginia court with a jury is Circuit Court
  • A trial with no jury is called a bench trial
  • In a criminal case, the government brings charges against the defendant through a prosecutor, as crimes are seen as offenses against society.
  • A civil case is a legal action involving disputes between two or more persons, businesses, or a government agency. In a civil case, the legal action or complaint is brought by a plaintiff. The defendant is the person or organization being sued.
  • Plaintiff
    the party who sues in a civil case
  • Prosecutor
    The party who sues in a criminal case
  • Plea
    formal response made by a defendant in court when facing criminal charges