Lower Federal Courts Ch 11 Flashcards
Who created lower federal courts?
Congress
What created the Supreme Court?
The constitution
What are constitutional courts?
Courts established by Congress under the provisions of article III of the constitution.
What are district courts?
Courts within districts of each state
What does a grand jury hear charges on?
A person suspected of having committed a crime.
What is an indictment?
A formal accusation charging a person with a crime.
What is a petit jury?
A trial jury that weighs evidence in a criminal or civil case.
Who is the plaintiff?
The person bringing the suit
Who is the defendant?
The person against whom the suit is brought
What is a United States magistrate?
A person assigned by each district to issue arrest warrants and helps decide wether the arrested person should be held for a grand jury hearing.
Who handles bankruptcy cases for each district?
A bankruptcy judge.
What does a United States marshal do?
Makes arrests, secures jurors, and keeps order in the courtroom.
What does a clerk do?
Keep records of court proceedings.
How many judicial circuits is the USA divided into?
12
What cases does the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit hear?
Cases from a federal claims court
What types of cases does the Court of International Trade hear?
Cases dealing with tariffs
What do the legislative courts do?
Help congress exercise its powers.
What does the US Court of Federal Acclaims do?
Handles claims against the United States for money damages.
What does the United States Tax Court do?
Hears cases relating to federal taxes.
What does the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces do?
Hears cases involving members of the armed forces convicted of breaking military law.
What do Territorial Courts do?
Handle civil and criminal cases in US territories of the Virgin Islands, Guam, the northern marina islands, and Puerto Rico.
What does the Court of Veterans’ Appeals do?
Deals with veterans’ claims for benefits and other veterans’ problems and handles cases arising from unsettled claims.
What is the senatorial courtesy system? How does it work?
A system the president uses to name judges to trial courts. A president submits the name of a candidate to senators from that candidates state and then the whole Senate to be approved.
What type of courts is the senatorial courtesy system used for?
District courts and other trial courts
