Court System vocabulary

Felony-

• A major crime punishable by more than one year in prison

• A person who is accused of a crime or is being sued

• The unlawful killing of another human being

• Crime

Unconstitutional

• In conflict with the Constitution

• The decision of a judge or a jury in a trial

• The formal complaint to the court in civil case

• also called a summons

The power of the Supreme Court to review federal and state laws and decide whether they agree with the Constitution

• Judicial Review

• Homicide

• Plea bargain

• bail

Jurisdiction-

• A group of 7-12 citizens what are chosen by the attorneys to hear a case

• The boundaries of a court's authority to hear and decide a case in a court

• Magistrate

• A minor crime

A minor crime punishable by one year or less in jail and/or a fine

• Felony

• Jury

• Plea

• Misdemeanor

Criminal case-

• A person who is accused of a crime

• The Constitutional protection against unfair treatment

• To formally accuse a person of a crime

• A case in which a person is accused of breaking the laws

Judicial Review

• A major crime

• Protection against unfair governmental action

• Power of the Supreme Court to review federal and state laws

• Civil Case

The authority of a court to hear a case for the first time

• Witness

• Arraignment

• Appellate

• Original jurisdiction

Appellate Jurisdiction

• A court's decision that the accused is NOT guilty.

• Security, usually a sum of money

• Death sentence for severe crime

• The authority of a court to rehear cases to review earlier decisions.

A case in which two citizens are in dispute and one takes legal action

• conviction

• capital punishment

• civil case

• arraignment