Chapter 7 notes pt. 2

Question 1

list the courts in the state court systems.

Answer 1

1. lower courts, or courts of limited jurisdiction
2. trial courts, of general jurisdiction’
3. appellate courts
4. the state’s highest courts

Question 2

lower courts are also known as courts of _______ ________.

Answer 2

limited jurisdiction

Question 3

Outline the several levels of a typical state court system.

Answer 3

A. at the lowest level are courts of limited jurisdiction
B. next are trial courts of general jurisdiction
C. then appellate courts, and
D. finally, the state’s highest court

Question 4

Courts of limited jurisdiction can also be responsible for the preliminary stages of _____ cases.

Answer 4

felony

Question 5

a public civil officer or official with limited judicial authority within a particular geographic area, such as the authority to issue an arrest warrant

Answer 5

magistrates

Question 6

magistrates courts have the same limited jurisdiction as do ______ courts in ______ settings.

Answer 6

justice

rural

Question 7

In most jurisdictions, magistrates are responsible for what?

Answer 7

Providing law enforcement agents with search and seizure warrants

Question 8

lower courts that have jurisdiction over one specific area of criminal activity, such as illegal drugs or domestic violence.

Answer 8

speciality courts

Question 9

List the types of courts in the speciality courts and define them.

Answer 9

1. Drug courts, which deal only with illegal substances crimes
2. Gun courts, which have jurisdiction over crimes that involve the illegal use of firearms
3. Juvenile Courts, which specialize in crimes committed by minors
4. Domestic courts, which deal with crimes of domestic violence, such as child and spousal abuse
5. Mental health courts, which focus primarily on the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders with mental health problems

Question 10

speciality courts offer a range of __________ options for wrongdoers.

Answer 10

treatment

Question 11

True or False: speciality courts are becoming increasingly popular in today’s more budget conscious criminal justice system.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

state trial courts that have general jurisdiction may be called what other type of courts?

Answer 12

1. county courts
2. district courts
3. superior courts
4. circuit courts

Question 13

Every state has at least ___ court of appeals.

Answer 13

1

Question 14

The highest appellate court in a state is usually called the _________ ______. Except in both New York and Maryland, the highest state court is called the court of ________.

Answer 14

Supreme Court

appeals

Question 15

When can the Supreme Court overrule a decision made by a state’s highest court?

Answer 15

When issues pertaining to federal law or the Constitution are involved

Question 16

state court systems include several levels of courts: lower courts, or courts of ________ jurisdiction, hear only cases involving minor criminal matters or narrowly defined areas of crime such as domestic violence.

Answer 16

limited

Question 17

Trial courts of ________ jurisdiction hear cases involving many different subject matters.

Answer 17

general

Question 18

The state courts of ________ make the final decisions on all questions of state law.

Answer 18

appeals

Question 19

What is the three-tiered structure in the federal court system?

Answer 19

1. U.S. district courts (trial courts of general jurisdiction) and various courts of limited jurisdiction
2. U.S. courts of appeals (intermediate courts of appeals)
3. The U.S. Supreme Court

Question 20

these are the courts in which cases involving federal laws begin, and a judge or jury decides the case (if it’s a jury trial)

Answer 20

U.S. District Courts

Question 21

There are ___ U.S. courts of appeals, aka U.S. Circuit Courts of appeals.

Answer 21

13

Question 22

The decisions of the circuit courts of appeals are final unless?

Answer 22

A further appeal is pursued and granted

Question 23

The Supreme Court “makes” criminal justice policy in what two important ways?

Answer 23

1. Judicial Review

2. Its authority to interpret law

Question 24

the power of a court-particularly the U.S. Supreme Court to review the actions of the executive and legislative branches and, if necessary, declare those actions unconstitutional

Answer 24

judicial review

Question 25

true or false: most cases originate at the Supreme Court level

Answer 25

false; only rarely does a case originate at the Supreme Court level

Question 26

Most of the U.S. Supreme Court’s work is at an _________

court.

Answer 26

appellate

Question 27

a request from a higher court asking a lower court asking a lower court for the record of a case

Answer 27

writ of certiorari

Question 28

The denial of the writ of certiorari has no value as a __________.

Answer 28

precedent

Question 29

The court will not issue a writ unless at least four justices approve of it, this is called ______ of _____.

Answer 29

rule of four

Question 30

a rule of the U.S. Supreme Court that the Court will not issue a writ of certiorari unless at least four justices approve of the decision to hear the case

Answer 30

rule of four

Question 31

the verbal arguments presented in person by attorneys to an appellate court

Answer 31

oral arguments

Question 32

after oral arguments the justices discuss the case in __________.

Answer 32

conference

Question 33

What is a conference?

Answer 33

the conference is strictly private-only the justices are allowed in the room

Question 34

separate opinions prepared by judges who support the decision of the majority of the court, but who want to make or clarify a particular point or to voice disapproval of the grounds on which the decisions was made

Answer 34

concurring opinions

Question 35

separate opinions in which judges disagree with the conclusion reached by the majority of the court and expand on their own views about the case

Answer 35

dissenting opinions

Question 36

The lowest tier of the federal court system contains U.S. __________ courts, also known as federal trial courts.

Answer 36

district

Question 37

Appeals from this lower tier are heard in the thirteen U.S. __________ court of appeals.

Answer 37

circuit

Question 38

A decision handed down by a court in this second tier is final unless the United States _________ Court issues a writ of __________, indicating that is has agreed to review the case.

Answer 38

Supreme

certiorari