Law and Criminal Justice System Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terms from Chapters 1 through 4 including Law and Criminal Justice System topics, Jurisdiction, Prosecution, and Defense.

Criminal Justice System

The system of law enforcement, adjudication, and corrections involved in apprehending, prosecuting, defending, and sentencing individuals accused of criminal offenses.

Courtroom Workgroup

An informal courtroom arrangement consisting of key actors, such as the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney, who interact regularly to process criminal cases.

Adversary System

A legal system used in criminal trials where two opposing sides—the prosecution and defense—present evidence before a neutral judge or jury.

Law

A formal body of rules and regulations that governs individual behavior, maintains social control, resolves disputes, and facilitates social change.

Social Control

A primary function of law that regulates individual and group behavior to enforce compliance with societal norms and legal rules.

Dispute Resolution

A core function of the legal system dedicated to settling formal legal conflicts between opposing private parties or legal entities.

Social Change

The legal function wherein laws and court rulings are utilized to reform, guide, or adapt societal rules, policies, and behavior over time.

Judicial Activism

A philosophy where judges use their judicial rulings to influence legal policy or social change, sometimes setting aside established statutes or precedents.

Specialty/Problem-Solving Courts

Courts structured to handle specific case categories or address underlying behavioral issues, such as drug treatment, mental health, or domestic violence courts.

Statutory Law

Written laws, statutes, and codes formally enacted by legislative bodies such as state legislatures or Congress.

Common Law

A body of law originating from judicial decisions, precedents, and legal customs rather than statutory legislative enactments.

Substantive Law

The branch of law that defines legal rights, legal duties, elements of crimes, and punishments.

Procedural Law

The set of rules governing the technical methods and procedures used to enforce substantive legal rights in judicial proceedings.

Civil Law

The body of law governing private disputes between individuals or organizations, decided under the burden of proof of preponderance of the evidence.

Criminal Law

The body of law dealing with acts against society or the state, prosecuted by government authorities under the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Administrative Law

Rules, regulations, orders, and decisions created and enforced by executive government agencies.

Preponderance of the Evidence

The standard of proof in civil cases requiring that a claim is more likely true than not.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

The highest standard of proof in the legal system, required to convict a criminal defendant in court.

Subject Matter Jurisdiction

A court's authority to hear and decide cases involving specific topics or areas of law.

Geographical Jurisdiction

The designated physical or territorial boundary within which a court possesses legal authority.

Hierarchical Jurisdiction

The division of judicial responsibilities between lower trial courts having original jurisdiction and higher courts holding appellate jurisdiction.

Limited Jurisdiction

Authority restricted to specific, lower-level, or restricted types of legal matters, such as misdemeanors or ordinance violations.

General Jurisdiction

Authority granted to trial courts enabling them to hear broad categories of major civil and criminal matters.

Appellate Court

A tribunal that reviews decisions and lower court transcripts to determine if legal errors occurred, without conducting brand-new trials.

Court of Last Resort

The ultimate appellate court within a state or federal judicial framework, providing final judicial rulings on legal questions.

U.S. District Court

The general trial court of original jurisdiction within the federal judicial system.

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

The intermediate federal court responsible for hearing appeals from U.S. District Courts.

U.S. Supreme Court

The nation's highest federal judicial body and court of last resort.

Federal Judges

Judicial officers nominated by the President and confirmed under Article III of the Constitution to serve on federal courts.

Prosecutor

The legal attorney representing the government in bringing criminal charges and pursuing legal action against a defendant.

Plea Bargaining

An agreement reached between prosecution and defense where the defendant enters a guilty plea in exchange for reduced charges or lighter sentencing recommendations.

Grand Jury

A panel of citizens that reviews prosecutor-presented evidence to determine if probable cause exists to formally charge a defendant with a crime.

Probable Cause

The evidentiary standard consisting of reasonable grounds to believe that a crime occurred and that the defendant committed it.

Exculpatory Evidence

Evidence favorable to the accused that tends to negate guilt or mitigate the alleged offense.

Inculpatory Evidence

Evidence tending to show the guilt or involvement of a defendant in a criminal act.

U.S. Attorney

The principal federal prosecutor appointed within a specific federal judicial district to represent the United States.

Assistant U.S. Attorney

A federal prosecutor who directly works on behalf of a U.S. Attorney to investigate and try federal cases.

Sixth Amendment

The constitutional amendment guaranteeing criminal defendants rights including a speedy trial, an impartial jury, and the assistance of counsel.

Right to Counsel

The fundamental legal protection under the Sixth Amendment granting defendants access to attorney representation during criminal proceedings.

Defense Counsel

The attorney appointed or hired to represent, advise, and protect the legal rights of an accused person in criminal court.

Effective Assistance of Counsel

The constitutional mandate that legal representation provided by defense counsel must meet objectively reasonable standards of competence.

Attorney-Client Privilege

A legal rule prohibiting forced disclosure of confidential communications passed between a client and their defense counsel.

Confidentiality

The ethical rule requiring defense attorneys to keep all communications and disclosures regarding a client's representation secret.

Pro Se

A legal designation for a criminal defendant who exercises self-representation in court without an attorney.

Direct Evidence

Evidence that establishes a fact directly without requiring inference or presumption, such as eyewitness testimony.

Circumstantial Evidence

Indirect evidence that relies on logical inferences to connect physical facts or circumstances to a conclusion.