Judical Branch Flashcards
The Constitution created the _____________, but lets Congress decide on the ____ of the _____________ & ____________________.
Supreme Court, size, Supreme Court & lower federal courts
The federal courts hear and decide - have ____________ over - a case depending on either the _______ ______ or the _______ involved in the case.
Jurisdiction, subject matter, parties
The Supreme Court mainly acts as an _________ _____, meaning that it hears cases on appeal from lower courts.
Appellate court
A trial by jury is guaranteed to anyone accused of a federal crime, EXCEPT those cases dealing with ___________.
Impeachment
A person can be convicted of treason only if he or she _________ or two _________ testify to it.
Confesses, witnesses
Which Presidents collectively appointed all of our current Supreme Court Justices?
George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden
How many current Supreme Court Justices did George W. Bush appoint?
3
How many current Supreme Court Justices did Barack Obama appoint?
2
How many current Supreme Court Justices did Donald Trump appoint?
3
How many current Supreme Court Justices did Joe Biden appoint?
1
In what article and section of the Constitution do we find the judicial powers given to the Supreme Court and any inferior courts that Congress may authorize?
Article 3, Section 1
What are the two different court systems that are used in the US?
The national judiciary and the courts run by each of the 50 states
Jurisdiction is the authority of a court to “hear” a case. What does it mean to “hear” a case?
To try and decide
Under which two scenarios will the federal court system hear a case?
The subject matter or the parties involved
What is original jurisdiction?
Belongs to the court in which a case is first heard
Which federal court can practice both original and appellate jurisdiction?
The Supreme Court
In which case did the Supreme Court first assert its power of judicial review? In what year?
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
What is the 2-step process for judicial appointments?
President nominates, Senate approves
How many justices have to agree to hear a case (grant a “writ of certiorari”) before it appears on the Court’s docket?
4
How many cases does the Court grant a writ of certiorari to each term?
Less than 100
How many district courts are there throughout the United States?
94
What type of jurisdiction do district courts practice?
Original jurisdiction
What are criminal cases?
Cases in which a defendant is tried for committing a crime as defined by the law
What are civil cases?
Cases involving a non criminal matter such as a contract dispute or a claim of patent infringement
