Criminal Justice Final Flashcards
Strict Interpretation
deciphers the words of the constitution as the literal meaning, discounting the current context socially, historically, or technologically
Dual Court System
Federal court system and State court system
Separate but Equal Doctrine
deciphers the words of the constitution as the literal meaning, discounting the current context socially, historically, or technologically
Writ of Certiorari
Used by appellate courts (retrial) that have discretion to review a lower court’s opinion. the writ is an order to send all the documents of a case to be reviewed
Jurisdiction
the extent of a particular court’s power to make legal decisions and judgements
Judiciary Act of 1789
establishes the U.S. Supreme court
En Banc
A case heard by all judges of the court
Court of Last Resort
the final court with appellate authority in a given court system. In the United States at the fed. level, the Supreme Court is the court of last resort
appellate court
the court that hears the appeal of a trial court’s decision
pro se
“for himself” meaning self representation in legal proceedings without the aid of a legal rep
indictment
a formal accusation that an individual has committed an act punishable by law, typically presented by a grand jury
information
A formal charge against an individual suspected of committing a crime, typically presented by an authorized public official, such as the prosecutor, with the purpose to inform the accused of the charges so a defense may be prepared.
Specialized Courts
(aka problem-solving courts) work with particular types of offenses and offenders; ex: Treatment Court, Drug Court, DUI Court, etc.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
An approach to settling cases using a variety of methods to assist the disputing parties in finding a solution without relying on costly litigation.
Double Jeopardy
a constitutional protection under the 5th Amendment against being tried twice for the same crime
Missouri Plan
it is a process to elect judges that attempts to eliminate politics.
Criminal Trials
Trials to ascertain the guilt or lack of guilt of defendants charged with committing crimes
Civil Trials
trials used to settle disputes between two parties that do not include criminal misconduct (ex: divorce court)
traffic hearings
used to deal with traffic offenses
legal guilt
established when a prosecutor is able to persuade a judge or jury that the defendant is guilty of the criminal charges
factual guilt
whether the defendant actually committed the crime
adjudicate
to render a formal judgemet about a disputed matter
bench trial
a trial in which a judge or judges acts as the fact finder, weighs the evidence, deliberates, and renders a judgment
jury trial
A trial where the jury acts as the fact finder, weighs the evidence , deliberates and renders a verdict