State Courts Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the State Court System.

State Courts

Addresses violations of the states Constitutions and state laws

Penal Code

Set of criminal laws that each state has and may differ from other states

Criminal Cases

Disputes between the person guilty (of the crime) and the Accuser

Civil Cases

Disputes over property or money, and business and government

Trial Courts

Hear all civil and criminal cases

State Supreme Court

Highest Court in the State System

Appeal Courts

Review cases from trial courts where rulings have been challenged or wanting appeal

Lower court

Hears minor cases (not the age), Includes misdemeanor criminal cases and civil cases involving small amounts of money; Judges conduct without a jury

Small-claims courts

Handle cases involving less than $5,000, no lawyers are needed

General trial courts

A jury hears most cases and a judge presides

Appeal

The usual basis for an appeal is that the person’s guaranteed right to a fair trial was violated during the trial; They do not use juries

Missouri Plan

Method of selecting judges in which a committee prepares a list of qualified judges, the governor appoints a judge from the list, and the judge faces voters in next election

Recall

Term used to describe removing state officials