Unit 2c: Judiciary

Front

Federalist #78

Back

Judicial is the least dangerous branch and should be secured with life tenure and practice judicial Review to protect the people from the other two more dangerous branches.

Front

amicus curiae brief

Back

Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties (litigants) to a case. A way to lobby an appeals court.

Front

appellate jurisdiction

Back

The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts by looking for errors of law.

Front

briefs

Back

written documents in which attorneys explain, using case precedents, why the court should find in favor of their client

Front

certiorari

Back

SCOTUS agrees to hear a case

Front

Circuit Court of Appeals

Back

The court to which decisions by federal district courts are appealed in order to determine if the law was applied correctly during the trial.

Front

Concurring Jurisdiction

Back

Cases that may be tried in either the federal or state courts

Front

concurring opinion

Back

Written when a Justice agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but has additional reasoning they want officially stated.

Front

Constitutional Courts

Back

Federal courts created by the Constitution or Congress under Article III of the Constitution, including the district courts, courts of appeals, & supreme.

Front

dissenting opinion

Back

A written statement by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion that presents his or her opinion to why the majority was wrong.