POLS Ch. 14.txt

� the branch of government comprising the state and federal courts and the judges who preside over them

� high court with a limited original jurisdiction whose decisions may not be appealed; it serves as the court of last resort in the U.S. judiciary

� Also known as �court of appeals� ; the middle level in the federal court structure, the court of appeals.

� the practice of traveling around the circuits the early Supreme Court justices and district court judges to hear appeals cases

� intermediate appellate courts in the federal system that review previous decisions made by the courts in the federal or state judicial systems

� the process by which cases are bought and decided in the American legal system

� the party bringing the case to court

� the person defending himself or herself against a plaintiff�s accusation

- a conflict between private individuals in which the plaintiff alleges that some action or inaction by the defendant has resulted in harm to him or her

� a case brought by the government or a prosecutor against a defendant, alleging that he or she has engages in conduct resulting in injury to another person, and that this injury is so significant, it harms not only the individual but also the larger society

� a wrongful act involving a personal injury or harm to one�s property or reputation

� the party seeking to have a lower court�s decision reviewed by an appellate court

- the party opposing the hearing of a case by an appellate court

- law made by judges who decide cases and articulate legal principles in their opinions; based on the British system

� (let the decision stand); the principle that binds judges to rely upon the holdings of past judges in deciding cases.

� legal authority established by earlier cases

� laws created by legislators to regulate the behavior of individuals and organizations

� the body of law that comes out of the courst in cases involving the interpretation of the Constitution

� a law enacted by Congress or State legislatures to deal with particular issues or problems, sometimes more detailed and comprehensive than the common law

� a compilation of all the laws passed by the U.S. Congress

� when a judge of panal of judges decide a case, they sometimes write an opinion that justifies their decision and explains how they have applied principles of decision

� presidents can say WHO/WHAT

- a two-part judicial system such as that the United States, which has both federal and state courts

- the court in which a case first heard + which determines the facts of a case

� the power of a court to hear a case and to resolve it, given to a court by either a constitution or a statute

- a question of law based on interpretation of the US Constitution, federal laws, or treaties

� the circumstance in which the parties in a legal case are from different sates or the case involves a us citizen and a foreign government

- he power of a court to hear a case first, before other courts have decided it

� the authority of a court to review the decision reached by another court in a case

� any of the 9 judges who sit on the Supreme Court

� head justice

- a custom that allows senators from the president�s political party to veto the president�s choice of federal district court judge In the senators state.

� the attempt to ensure that the Supreme Court includes representatives of major demographic groups, such as women, African-American, Jews, and Catholics

- a court made up of a group of judges who must evaluate a case together + decide on the outcome; significant compromise and negotiation take place as members try to build a majority coalition

- description written by Court clerks of the facts of a case files with the Courts, the pertiments legal arguments, and a recommendation as to whether the case should be taken

- compiled by the chief justice, the list of cases on review that he thinks may be appropriate for the court to hear

� Latin for �request to make certain�; this is an order to a lower court to produce a certified record of a case so that the appellate court can determine whether any errors occurred during trial that warrant review of the case

� practiced by which the Supreme Court justices determine if they will hear a case if four or more justices want to hear it

�friend of the court� brief; document submitted by parties interested in a certain case or issue in an attempt to provide the court with information that may be used to decide the case

- the stage when appeals courts judges or Supreme Court justices meet with the petitioner and the respondent to ask questions about the legal interpretations or information contained in their briefs

� judicial opinion agreeing with how they majority decides the case but disagreeing with at least some of the legal interpretations or conclusions reached by the majority

� judicial opinion disagreeing both with the majority�s disposition of a case and with their legal interpretations and conclusions.

- an approach to judicial decision making where by judges apply their authority to bring about specific social goals

• - an approach to judicial decision making where by judges defer to the democratically elected legislative + executive branches of government (the limiting of their own power as judges)