Judicial System Vocab

authority to hear a case

• litigation

• jurisdiction

• arraignment

• jury

authority to hear a case first

• defendant

• jurisdiction

• original jurisdiction

• jury

authority to review a decision of a lower court

• appellate jurisdiction

• original jurisdiction

• appeal

• plantiff

serious crime punishable by jail time

• jurisdiction

• misdemeanor

• felony

• bailiff

minor crimes punishable by fines rather than jail time

• prosecutor

• defendant

• felony

• misdemeanor

constitutional protection against unfair government actions and laws

• due process of law

• appeal

• probable cause

• arraignment

apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court

• decision of jury

• jurisdiction

• appeal

• litigation

panel of people selected from the general population to hear a case

• jury

• bailiff

• litigation

• judge

decision of the jury

• civil suit

• litigation

• verdict

• probable cause

a case usually involving only financial damages

• felony

• misdemeanor

• civil suit

• prosecutor