Chapter 8: The Judicial System in Texas

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and institutions of the Texas judicial system, including court structures, legal procedures, and judicial actors.

Texas Judicial Branch

The court system established under Article 5 of the Texas Constitution that interprets and applies state law.

Federal Judiciary

Courts with jurisdiction over federal law violations, multi-state crimes, and matters regulated by the U.S. government.

Texas Penal Code

Body of law defining most Texas criminal offenses and their range of punishments.

Felony

The most serious criminal offense in Texas, punishable by imprisonment and/or substantial fines.

Misdemeanor

A less-serious criminal offense in Texas, punishable by a fine or brief county-jail sentence.

Civil Lawsuit

Non-criminal legal dispute between individuals, businesses, governments, or other entities.

Original Jurisdiction

Authority of a court to hear and decide a case first, determining issues of fact.

Appellate Jurisdiction

Authority of a court to review lower-court decisions for errors of law or procedure.

Bifurcated Court System

Structure in which two separate high courts share final appellate authority—Texas Supreme Court for civil cases and Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal cases.

Municipal Court

City-created court of limited jurisdiction handling city ordinances and traffic violations.

Justice of the Peace Court

Low-level county court handling minor civil disputes and Class C misdemeanors.

Constitutional County Court

Court led by an elected county judge, possessing original jurisdiction in misdemeanors and some civil matters.

Statutory County Court (County Court at Law)

Legislatively created county-level court with limited criminal and civil jurisdiction.

District Court

Primary state trial court with original jurisdiction over major civil cases, all felonies, and certain misdemeanors.

Specialized Court

Texas court created to focus on specific issues such as family, drug, or veterans’ matters.

Intermediate Court of Appeals

One of 14 regional Texas courts that hear civil and criminal appeals from district courts.

Texas Supreme Court

Nine-member court of last resort for civil and juvenile cases in Texas.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Nine-member court of last resort for criminal cases in Texas.

Plea Bargain

Agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence, commonly used to ease court backlogs.

Grand Jury

Panel that reviews evidence to decide whether to issue an indictment (true bill) in criminal cases.

Petit Jury

Trial jury that hears evidence in criminal or civil cases and renders a verdict.

Venire

The pool of prospective jurors summoned for jury duty.

Indictment (True Bill)

Formal written charge issued by a grand jury accusing someone of a felony offense.

No Bill

Grand jury decision not to indict an individual after reviewing evidence.

Information

Formal accusation prepared by a prosecutor for most misdemeanor cases, bypassing the grand jury.

Probation

Court-ordered alternative to incarceration allowing a convicted offender to remain in the community under conditions.

Parole

Conditional early release of a prison inmate, excluding death-penalty cases and certain capital murderers.