Unit 1, Chapter 1 Flashcards
Reservations
A legal way of making a provision less enforceable than it might otherwise be
Criminal Laws
Laws that regulate public conduct and set out duties owed to society
Felony
Criminal offense such as murder or robbery
Misdemeanors
Less serious crimes such as simple assault
Civil Laws
Regulate relations between individuals or a group
Civil action
A lawsuit that can be brought by a person who feels wronged or injured by another person
Defendant
Person accused of committing the crime
Plaintiff
Person or company harmed- against the defendant
Prosecutor
The state or federal governments attorney in a criminal case
“Beyond a reasonable doubt”
If the jury has any reasonable doubts about the defendants guilt, then it must vote not to convict
“Preponderance of the evidence”
The burden of proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit
Limited Government
Basic principles of our constitutional system, limits government to powers provided to it by the people
Separation of Powers
The three branches of the federal government, judicial, executive, and legislative
Statutes
Written laws enacted by legislatures
Checks and balances
System designed to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful and abusing its power
Veto
Refuse to approve laws passed by congress
Judicial Review
Enables a court to declare unenforceable any law passed by congress or a state legislature that conflicts with the country’s highest law, the U.S. Constitution
Unconstitutional
Conflicting with some provision of the constitution
Federalism
Division of powers between the states and the federal government
Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments to the Constitution which guarantee basic individual rights to all persons in the U.S.
Human Rights
Rights all people have simply because they are human beings
