Chapter 3 The US legal system 1 Flashcards

1
Q

courts power to hear cases and render decisions that bind the parties before them

A

jurisdiction

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2
Q

(courts of original jurisdiction, courts of common please, county courts) - have the power to hear and decide cases when they first enter the legal system (the parties present evidence and call witnesses to testify)

A

trial courts

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3
Q

have the power to review previous judicial decisions to determine whether trial courts erred in their decisions (do not hold trials)(handle questions of law not questions of fact)

A

appallate courts

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4
Q

an issue concerning the interpretation of application of a law (whether the first amendment protects the students right to utter racial slurs)

A

questions of law

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5
Q

a question about an event or characteristic in a case (whether a student yelled racial slurs on a college campus)

A

questions of fact

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6
Q

who can decide questions of law

A

only judges

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7
Q

who decides questions of fact

A

trial court

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8
Q

the court in which a case is first heard

A

court of original jurisdiction

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8
Q

a trial with no jury (the judge decides questions of fact)

A

bench trial

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9
Q

is a courts power to render a decision affecting the rights of the specific persons before the court (courts power to exercise this extends only over a specific geographic region)

A

in personam jurisdiction

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10
Q

The person or party who initiates a lawsuit (an action) before a court by filing a complaint with the clerk of the court against the defendant(s)

A

plaintiff

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11
Q

The person, party, or entity against whom a civil or criminal lawsuit is filed in a court of law.

A

defendant

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12
Q

A formal written document that begins a civil lawsuit; contains the plaintiff’s list of allegations against the defendant, along with the damages the plaintiff seeks

A

complaint

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13
Q

a court order that notifies the defendant of the lawsuit and explains how and when to respond to the complaint

A

summons

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14
Q

the procedure by which courts present these documents to defendants

A

service of process

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15
Q

The process in which an officer of the court hands legal documents, such as a summons or complaint, to the defendant

A

personal service

16
Q

a court representative leaves the summons and complaint with a responsible adult at the defendants home and service by certified or ordinary mail

A

residential service

17
Q

enable the court to serve defendants outside the state as long as the defendant has sufficient minimum contacts within the state and it seems fair to assert long arm jurisdiction over the defendant

A

long arm statutes

18
Q

The power of a court over the property or status of an out-of-state defendant located within the court’s jurisdiction area

A

in rem jurisdiction

19
Q

a courts power to hear certain kinds of cases

A

subject matter jurisdiction

20
Q

exclusive jurisdiction over very few cases: admiralty cases, bankruptcy cases, federal criminal prosecutions, lawsuits in which one state sues another state, claims against the United States, and cases involving federal copyrights and patents

A

exclusive federal jurisdiction

21
Q

have the power to hear all cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal court system. State courts also have exclusive jurisdiction over certain cases, such as cases concerning adoption and divorce. Most cases, therefore, fall under state court jurisdiction

A

state jurisdiction

22
Q

both state and federal courts have jurisdiction over a case, covers two types of cases 1. federal question 2. diveristy of citizenship cases

A

concurrent federal jurisdiction

23
Q

require interpretation of the US constitution, a federal statute, or a federal treaty

A

federal question cases

24
Q

entitles the defendant to transfer the case to the federal court system

A

right of removal

25
Q

determines which trial court in the system will hear the case. Matter of geographic location, where the defendant resides, property is located, where the dispute occurred r all appropriate venues

A

venue

26
Q

the parties specify which court would hear a dispute over an alleged breach of the contract

A

forum selection clause

27
Q

clause inserted into the contract that specifies which law will be applied to resolve any disputes that arise under the contract (useful for when you have parties in different states)

A

choice of law clause

28
Q

an adversary system: a neutral fact finder- a judge or jury - hears evidence and arguments that opposing sides present and then decides the case on the basis of the facts and law

A

civil litigation