ch 12 Flashcards
_____ is the process of taking legal action.
Litigation
Most state judges _____.
are elected by the public
Retired Supreme Court Justice _____ has been an especially vocal critic of electing judges, calling judicial campaigns “tawdry and embarrassing.”
Sandra Day O’Connor
_____ courts are the first level of federal courts, which actually try the cases
District
_____ courts are the second stage of federal courts; they review the trial record of cases decided in the lower court to ensure they were settled properly.
Circuit
The principle of _____ enables the courts to check the other two branches of government.
judicial review
Judicial review is _____.
not mentioned in the Constitution
_____ allows the Supreme Court to take a vigorous or active approach when reviewing the other governmental branches.
Judicial activism
_____holds that the Supreme Court should overturn the elected branches of government reluctantly and as a last resort.
Judicial restraint
_____is a system of law developed by judges in deciding cases over the centuries.
Common law
A judge that makes a legal decision on a case today may look at past case law and follow the concept of _____.
precedent
A person charged with theft will face the rules and consequences under _____.
criminal law
____ courts operate with four different kinds of restraints: they have no electoral base; they have relatively limited resources; they are by definition reactive decision-makers; and they must rely on other branches for enforcement.
Federal
A/An _____ brief is submitted to the Court by a person or group that is not a direct party to the case.
amicus curiae
The Supreme Court process of selecting a case for review is known as the
rule of four
