Judicial Branch Vocab

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due process

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doctrine that holds that the government must act fairly and in accord with established rules in all that it does

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probable cause

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reasonable grounds, a reasonable suspicion of crime

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jurisdiction

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the authority of a court to hear a case

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criminal case

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a case in which a defendant is tried for committing a crime as defined by the law

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civil case

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A case involving a noncriminal matter such as a contract dispute or a claim of patent infringement

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plaintiff

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in civil law, the party who brings a suit or some other legal action against another (the defendant) in court

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prosecution

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the party who starts the legal proceedings against another party for a violation of the law

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defendant

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in a civil suit, the person against whom a court action is brought by the plaintiff; in a criminal case, the person charged with the crime

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grand jury

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formal device by which a person can be accused of a serious crime

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indictment

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formal complaint before a grand jury that charges the accused with one or more crimes