Judicial Branch Vocab

Jurisdiction

• The official power to make legal decisions and judgments.

• The ability to enforce laws without authority.

• The process of appealing a legal decision.

• The right to represent someone in court.

District Court

• A state or federal trial court.

• A court that hears only appeals.

• A court that deals with family law cases.

• A court that handles only criminal cases.

Brief (as it applies to the courts)

• A written statement submitted in a trial or appellate proceeding that explains one side's legal and factual arguments.

• A summary of the court's decision that is published after a trial.

• A document that outlines the rules of evidence for a trial.

• A formal request to the court to dismiss a case.

Criminal

• Relating to crime.

• A type of legal document.

• A person who commits a civil offense.

• A term used for financial transactions.

Opinion (as it applies to the courts)

• A statement by a judge or a court of the decision reached in regard to a case tried or argued before it.

• A legal document outlining the arguments of both parties in a case.

• A summary of the facts presented during a trial.

• A formal request to appeal a court's decision.

Appellate Court

• A court that hears cases for the first time.

• A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court.

• A court that only handles criminal cases.

• A court that resolves disputes between states.

Concur

• To disagree with a decision or opinion.

• To agree with a decision or opinion.

• To analyze a situation thoroughly.

• To propose an alternative solution.

Right

• A moral or legal entitlement to have or do something.

• A type of privilege granted by society.

• An opinion that is widely accepted.

• A rule that must be followed by everyone.

Restraint

• Judicial restraint is a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power.

• Judicial restraint allows judges to create new laws based on personal beliefs.

• Judicial restraint promotes the idea that judges should actively shape public policy.

• Judicial restraint is a method for judges to increase their power in the legal system.

Stare Decisis

• A legal principle that allows for the creation of new laws.

• The legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.

• A method of resolving disputes through negotiation.

• A doctrine that prohibits the use of evidence in court.