Judicial Branch Benchmark Review

Study the cartoon below. Which function of the Supreme Court is being presented?

• A. Its function as an appellate court

• B. Its function of judicial review

• C. Its function to hear cases between states

• D. Its function to oversee impeachment trials

The flow chart below depicts the organization of the federal court system. Which court completes the diagram?

• A. U.S. Circuit Court

• B. Florida District Court

• C. U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

• D. U.S. District Court of Appeal

Jocelyn Smith has been injured by a local driver who was not paying attention to the road while she was texting on her cellphone. Ms. Smith decides to sue the driver. She believes that her pain and suffering and other damages are worth more than $100,000.

 In which court should she file her legal action against the driver? (M/H)

• Florida Circuit Court

• Florida County Court

• Florida Supreme Court

• Florida District Court of Appeal

Which court completes the table? (M)

• A. U.S. District Court

• B. U.S. Criminal Court

• C. Florida District Court

• D. U.S. District Court of Appeal

Which court can have a jury? (L)

• U.S. District Court

• U.S. Supreme Court

• Florida Supreme Court

• U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Which type of law is used by the armed services? (L)

• civil

• military

• criminal

• constitutional

The passage below is from the Code of Justinian: 

"Persons who wish to bring an accusation must have evidence . . .  If the accuser does not prove his claims, charges against the defendant shall be dismissed."

  

 What does this passage indicate about the importance of historical law codes? (M)

• They relied too much on the ruler’s will.

• They failed to create impartial procedures.

• They allowed the wealthy to take advantage of the weak.

• They established rules and practices we still follow today.

John eats a bowl of cornflakes and becomes sick. Later he discovers that the box of cornflakes was accidentally contaminated. He seeks payment from the manufacturer for his pain and suffering. Which type of law is used to hold the manufacturer responsible for his distress?

• civil

• military

• criminal

• constitutional

The statement below is from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education

"We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place."

Which source of law did this decision become?

• A. civil law

• B. juvenile law

• C. statutory law

• D. common law

What was the significance of these codes?

•    Code of Hammurabi

•    Ten Commandments

•    Twelve Tables

•    Code of Justinian

• A. They treated all members of society as equals.

• B. They established rules for electing government representatives.

• C. They created systems in which everyone was subject to written rules.

• D. They protected the ruler’s arbitrary power to make any decision without limit.