Lesson 4 Quiz

Question 1

What is a factor in how a judge may make a decision?

Answer 1

legal rules and precedents/ changes in circumstances/ ideological attitudes/ external political pressures

Question 2

Which of the following may factor into whether justices vote in favor of hearing a case?​

Answer 2

consistency in the lower courts on the issue/ ​if the federal government has intervened in the case/ in order to transform a precedent/ the importance of the case

Question 3

Growing in popularity and use is the “Missouri Plan” for selecting judges at the state level. What are the steps in this process?

Answer 3

A judicial nominating committee chooses three judicial candidates based on merit; the governor appoints one from the list, and after two years the judge stands for election by the voters.

Question 4

The document filed by an outside party with an interest in the litigation is a(n) _____________________.

Answer 4

amicus curiae

Question 5

__________is the term used for the laws and rules that address disputes in which the government is acting in its official capacity upon individuals.

Answer 5

public law

Question 6

There are __________ federal appeals courts across the country.​

Answer 6

13

Question 7

Congress can alter the Supreme Court’s __________ but not its __________.

Answer 7

appellate jurisdiction, original jurisdiction

Question 8

Which of the following characteristics is not one of the considerations that is typically used in the selection process for a nominee for an open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court?

Answer 8

the nominee’s experience as a trial lawyer
Right answers: the current political environment/ demographic considerations such as race or gender of the nominee/ the nominee’s ideological and policy preferences/ the nominee’s judicial competence

Question 9

A general definition of law is _________________.

Answer 9

authoritative rules made by government

Question 10

The rules and regulations that declare what types of conduct constitute an “offense against society” and prescribe the punishment to be imposed for such conduct are collectively referred to as ___________________.

Answer 10

criminal law

Question 11

The party that chooses to initiate formal legal proceedings is called the _____________.

Answer 11

plantiff

Question 12

Which of the following best describes how cases reach the U.S. Supreme Court on appeal?

Answer 12

About half of the cases come from federal appellate courts and the other half come from the 50 state supreme courts.

Question 13

During the nation’s early history, federal trials were conducted by _________________.

Answer 13

Supreme Court justices traveling on an assigned circuit

Question 14

In criminal cases that go to trial, the burden rests squarely on the prosecutor to prove __________ that the defendant committed the crime.

Answer 14

“beyond a reasonable doubt”

Question 15

The U.S. Supreme Court was established by​ _________________.

Answer 15

​Article III of the U.S. Constitution

Question 16

Which of the following is not a result of plea bargaining?

Answer 16

It allows the defendant to avoid a trial until an appeal can be filed to a higher court.
Right answers
It avoids lengthy and expensive trials./ It normally allows the defendant to avoid a prison sentence or significantly reduces the sentence./ It reduces the court docket length and time./ It often allows prosecutors to gain cooperation in other cases from the defendant in exchange for the reduced sentence.

Question 17

In some cases, such as that of O. J. Simpson in the 1990s, the defendant may be acquitted of a murder charge but may also be required in a separate court action to pay a large fine for “wrongful death.” Under what type of law is the wrongful death suit generated?

Answer 17

civil law

Question 18

To “Bork” means _______________________.

Answer 18

to challenge a president’s nominee through well-financed and organized interest group opposition

Question 19

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court _______________________.

Answer 19

ruled that Congress had powers beyond those specifically listed in the constitution

Question 20

If a justice agrees with the end result reached by the majority of the court, but disagrees with the reasons offered in the main written opinion, he or she may write a ________________.

Answer 20

​concurring opinion

Question 21

Sets of legislative codes, laws, or rules that are enacted by duly authorized lawmaking bodies or offices are broadly known as __________ laws.

Answer 21

civil

Question 22

Which of the following is a system of justice used in the American legal system in which opposing parties contend against each other for a result favorable to themselves, while judges act as independent referees overseeing the contest?

Answer 22

adversarial system

Question 23

The target of the complaint, who normally responds to the complaint with a formal written defense prior to appearing formally in court, is called the __________________.

Answer 23

defendant

Question 24

The type of law concerned with the definition, regulation, and enforcement rights in a divorce is _______ law.

Answer 24

private

Question 25

Which of the following would not be a court in the federal judicial system?

Answer 25

family court