Pgs. 10-13 Vocab Flashcards
criminal law
the branch of law that deals with crimes and their punishment
felony
a serious criminal offence punishable by a prison sentence of more than one year
misdemeanor
a criminal offense less serious, punishable by a prison sentence of one year or less
civil law
all law that does not involve criminal matters. such as contract and tort law; usually deals with private rights of individuals, groups, or businesses
civil action
a noncriminal lawsuit, brought to enforce a right or redress a wrong
defendant
the person against who a claim is made; civil suit - person being sued; criminal case - person charged with committing a crime
plaintiff
civil case - the injured party who brings legal action against the alleged wrongdoer
prosecutor
the state or federal government’s attorney in a criminal case
beyond a reasonable doubt
level of proof required to convict a criminal; does not mean to be ‘100% convinced ‘ but does mean there are no reasonable doubts as to guilt
preponderance of the evidence
used in civil suits; the burden of proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit - involves providing evidence that is more convincing than the other side’s evidence
limited government
basic principle of our constitution; it limits the government’s powers provided by the people
separation of powers
the division of powers among branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial)
status
written laws enacted by legislatures
checks and balances
the power of each of the three branches of government to limit the other branches’ power, so as to prevent an abuse
veto
prohibit; the power of the chief executive to prevent enactment of a bill (prevent becoming a law)
judicial review
the process by which a court decides whether the laws passed by Congress or state legislatures are constitutional
unconstitutional
conflicting with some provision of the constitution
federalism
the division of powers between the states and the federal government
bill of rights
the first ten amendments to the constitution - guarantees basic individual rights to all persons in the US
law
system of rules, prolgated and enforced by the government of a particular country or community, which regulates the actions of its members and may be enforced by the imposition of penalties
rule of law
idea that the country should be ruled by laws, not individuals
common law
courts made laws, two people come before the judge, cases presented
magna carta
‘great charter’ - free treatment needed to be given to everyone, including ruler
social contract
agreement to live together under the common good
