Judicial Branch Review

The judicial branch in the US is often described as a two court system. What are the two courts?

• domestic and foregin

• tribal and tax

• neutral and biased

• federal and state

What is judicial activism?

• When judges/ justices limit their use of judicial powers by following precedent and limiting their own preferences/ values in the decision.

• past appellate court or Supreme Court decision on a legal question

  that guides decisions in future cases about the same topic

• the process by which courts decide whether laws or government

  actions are constitutional

• When judges/ justices use their judicial powers to correct a

  constitutional legal injustice to favor contemporary values

Term of office for a Supreme Court justice

• elected for a period of 5 years
• nominated for a period of 10 years
• elected for a period of 8 years
• nominated for life (until retirement or death)

Unconstitutional means _____________

• to charge a public official with wrong doing
• the Constitution does NOT allow it
• rejecting a law and refusing to sign it
• to determine the meaning of the Constitution

The role of the Judicial Branch is to

• enforce the laws

• create the laws

• support treaties and executive agreements

• interpret the laws

Mallory is accused of lighting a campfire in a national park, which led to a forest fire that damaged multiple neighborhoods and towns.

• civil case
• criminal case 

What is judicial restraint?

• When judges/ justices limit their use of judicial powers by following precedent and limiting their own preferences/ values in the decision.

• past appellate court or Supreme Court decision on a legal question

  that guides decisions in future cases about the same topic

• the process by which courts decide whether laws or government

  actions are constitutional

• When judges/ justices use their judicial powers to correct a

  constitutional legal injustice to favor contemporary values

What is precedent?

• When judges/ justices limit their use of judicial powers by following precedent and limiting their own preferences/ values in the decision.

• past appellate court or Supreme Court decision on a legal question

  that guides decisions in future cases about the same topic

• the process by which courts decide whether laws or government

  actions are constitutional

• When judges/ justices use their judicial powers to correct a

  constitutional legal injustice to favor contemporary values

To ask a higher court to review a case

• circuit
• procedure
• appeal
• violate

Luke sues his neighbor after a tree from the neighboring yard fell on his car, causing significant damage.

• criminal case
• civil case