Judicial Branch vocab Flashcards

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1
Q

Jurisdiction

A

a court’s authority to hear and decide a case

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2
Q

Plaintiff

A

the person making a legal complaint in court

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3
Q

Original Jurisdiction

A

the authority of a court to be the first court to hold trials in certain kinds of cases

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4
Q

Judicial Restraint

A

the concept that a judge should interpret the Constitution according to the Framers’ original
intentions

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5
Q

Precedent

A

An earlier court decision that guides judges’ decisions in later cases

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6
Q

Docket

A

The list of cases to be heard before a court

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7
Q

Amicus Curiae Brief

A

This person or group will petition the court for permission to submit a brief in the action intending to influence the court’s decision

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8
Q

Concurring Opinions

A

Statements by Supreme Court justices who agree with the overall conclusion in the case, but stress some different or additional legal reasoning

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9
Q

Concurrent Jurisdiction

A

cases that fall under jurisdiction of both state and federal courts

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10
Q

Defendant

A

the person against whom a complaint is filed

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11
Q

Appellate Jurisdiction

A

the authority of some courts to review decisions made by lower courts

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12
Q

Judicial Activism

A

the concept that the Constitution should be interpreted more broadly

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13
Q

Senatorial Courtesy

A

the tradition that a senator from the same state as a nominee to a federal district court and the same
political party as the president can block a nomination for
virtually any reason

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14
Q

Writ of Certiorari

A

an order by a higher court seeking review of a lower court case

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15
Q

Majority Opinion

A

the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that is signed by at least five of the nine members of the Court

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16
Q

Dissenting Opinions

A

statement written by Supreme Court justices who disagree with the majority’s decision