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Government - Federal Courts Terms

Terms in this set (27)

Inferior Courts
the lower federal courts; beneath the Supreme Court
Stare Decisis
"let the decision stand"; means that an earlier decision should hold for the case being considered
Concurrent Jurisdiction
power shared by federal and state courts to hear certain cases
Plaintiff
in civil law, the party who brings a suit or some other legal action against another in
court
Litigants
refers to both the plaintiff and defendant
Defendant
in a civil suit, the person against whom a court
action is brought;
in a criminal case, the person charged with a
crime
Original Jurisdiction
the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court
Appellate Jurisdiction
authority of a court to review decisions of inferior courts
Criminal Law
portion of the law that defines public wrongs and provides for their punishment
Civil Law
portion of the law relating to human conduct, to disputes between private parties
Concurring Opinion
a written explanation of the views of one or more judges who support a decision reached by the majority, but wish to add or emphasize a point that was not made in the majority decision
Docket
- a court's list of cases to be heard
Writ of Certiorari
"to make more certain"; an order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up the record of a case for review
Amicus Curiae Briefs
"friend of the court"; a brief written by a group who is not an actual party in the case, but may be affected by its outcome
Majority Opinion
official decision of the court; it announces the court's decision in a case and set out the reasoning upon which it is based
Dissenting Opinion
a written explanation of the views of one or more judges who disagree with a decision reached by a majority of the court
Precedent
a court decision that stands as an example to be followed in future, similar cases
Redress
satisfaction of a claim payment
Court-Martial
a court composed of military personnel for the trial of those accused of violating military law
Civilian Tribunal
a court operating as part of the judicial branch, entirely separate from the military establishment
Marbury v. Madison
he first case to use the power of judicial review
Schechter Poultry Corp. v. US (1935)
case in which the National Industrial Recovery Act was declared unconstitutional because it regulated purely local businesses that did not affect interstate commerce
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
case in which the Supreme Court held that laws requiring the segregation of public schools to be unconstitutional
Roe v. Wade (1973)
court decision holding that a state ban on all abortions was unconstitutional
US v. Nixon (1974)
court case that ordered the president to turn over his White House tapes dealing with Watergate to the courts
Bush v. Gore (2000)
court case that decided the 2000 Presidential election
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
case in which the court extended 2nd Amendment's limits on restricting the right to bear arms to state and local gun control laws
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