Judicial Branch Vocabulary

Law

The set of rules and standards by which a society governs itself

Interpretation

Explanation

Rule of Law

The idea that no individual, group, organization, or governmental entity is above the law

Entity

Something that has separate and district existence

Judicial Review

The power of the supreme court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional

Unconstitutional

Not consistent with a nation’s constitution

Impartially

Un-Biased

Criminal Trial Courts

Courts that hear cases about crimes such as burglary, murder, or group should pay for causing them

Civil Trial Courts

Courts that hear cases about crimes in which one person or group think another person or group should pay for causing harm

Original Jurisdiction

The authority of a trial court to be the first to hear a case

Adversarial System

A trial system that is a contest between opposing sides

Public Defenders

Attorney who works for the state and defends people who cannot afford a private attorney

Plea Bargain

An agreement whereby a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser crime than the one with which the defendant was originally charged, and in return in government agrees not to prosecute the defendant for the more serious crime

Grand Jury

A group hear charges against a suspect and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to bring the person to trial

Indictment

A formal charge of criminal action by a grand jury unsuccessful party in a lawsuit

Appeal

An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit asks a higher court to review the decision on the basis that the original court did not apply the law correctly or the trial was not fair

Error of Law

A mistake by a judge as to the applicable law in a case

Procedural Due Process

The fair administrations of justice

Arbitrary

Existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance

Double Jeopardy

The subjecting of a person to a second trial or punishment for the same offense for which the person has already been tried or punished

Precedent

A legal principal created by an appellate court decision that lower court judges must follow when deciding similar cases

Statute

A federal law; A law written by a legislative branch

Retention

The act of continuing to hold or have, as in a political position

Regional Circuits

The divisions under the United States Federal Courts system, grouped into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a federal court of appeals also called a U.S circuit Court

Courts Martial

Similar to criminal trials but consists of judges and attorneys drawn form legal officers of the military branch in which the violation occurred

Tribal Courts

A court that hears criminal and civil cases operating within the tribal justice system