Unit 4: Judicial System Flashcards
United States Code
The collection and organization of the thousands of statutes passed by Congress.
Statute
A law passed by Congress that applies to the entire United States
Ordinance
Local laws that apply within local boundaries, such as within a city or county.
Regulations
Executive branch agencies, such as the FFA, USDA, or VA, have the power to create these rules to providetructure, organization, and compliance.
Lawsuit
An argument that someone or something has suffered because another party has not followed the law properly.
Felonies
Serious crimes that normally have a punishment of more than a year in jail.
Misdemeanors
Less serious crimes where the penalty is usually less than a year in jail or even just a fine.
Uniform Code of Military Justice
A set of criminal laws that apply to people in the military.
Juvenile Justice
Usually more flexible than the adult court system taking into consideration the age of the accused.
Marbury Vs. Madison
Said: the Supreme Court and other courts have the power to decide whether something is unconstitutional. Courts can strike down government actions that violate the Constitution.
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Said it was constitutional for places like schools, buses, and restaurants to keep people of different races apart, as long as the services offered were “equal.” For example, it was okay to make black and white people ride on separate train cars.
Brown v. Board of Education
Overruled Plessy by saying it’s unconstitutional for the government to require students of different races to go to different schools. The Court said separate schools for students of different races are not equal.
Gideon v. Wainright
Said that people accused of a crime must be given a lawyer even if they cannot afford one. It’s unconstitutional to deny them a lawyer just because they’re poor.
Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist.
Said it’s unconstitutional to deny students the right to free speech at school, unless the students’ speech disrupts school activities.
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Said it’s unconstitutional for principles and teachers to search students and their belongings, unless there is a good reason (like safety and discipline) and the search doesn’t go too far.
