Legal Terms Quiz

A magistrate is a court official who handles simple legal tasks, like giving permission for police searches, setting bail amounts, and ...?

• Handles full trials

• Manages early court steps

• Sets laws

• Oversees jury decisions

__________ (bail money) is money that an arrested person pays to the court to stay out of jail while waiting for their trial. It’s a promise that they will come back to court. If they don’t show up, they lose the money. What is this money called?

• Bond money

• Loan

• Deposit

• Fine

A grand jury is a group of citizens who _________ to decide if there is enough proof to charge someone with a crime. They do not decide if the person is guilty or innocent, just whether _________.

• To decide if someone is guilty or innocent

• To review evidence and decide if a case should go to trial

• To sentence someone to prison

• To provide legal representation

To indict means to ____________. This decision is made by a grand jury after reviewing evidence against the person.

• To officially charge someone with a crime

• To acquit someone of a crime

• To sentence someone to prison

• To release someone on bail

A plea bargain is an agreement where a person accused of a crime agrees to plead guilty to a less serious charge in exchange for a lighter sentence or other benefits.

• True

• False

Acquittal is when a person is found not guilty of a crime in a trial. This means they are cleared of the charges against them.

• True

• False

Post-trial discovery is the process where both sides in a legal case share evidence and information before the trial starts. This helps each side know what to expect during the trial.

• True

• False

A deposition is a formal interview where a witness answers questions under oath before a trial. The answers can NOT be used as evidence in court.

• True

• False

A peremptory challenge is a way for an attorney to remove a potential juror from a jury pool without giving a reason. Each side in a trial has a limited number of these challenges.

• True

• False

An appeals court is a higher court that reviews decisions made by lower courts. It checks if the trial was fair and if the law was applied correctly, but it does not retry the case.

• True

• False