Name ____________________________    Date ______________

Chapter 10: The Judicial Branch

Section 1: The Role of the Federal Courts

Key Vocabulary:

1)       Define each of the following terms.

a)                 Plaintiff

b)                Defendant

c)                 Prosecution

d)                Precedent

e)                 Original jurisdiction

f)                  Appeal

g)                 Appellate jurisdiction

Focus:

2)       Who makes up the judicial branch of the federal government?

Laws and Courts:

3)                 How are disputes (fights) resolved in the legal systems?

What Courts Do:

4)                 What is the purpose of the courts?

5)       What kinds of conflicts are resolved in criminal cases?

6)       What kinds of conflicts are resolved in civil cases?

7)       What kinds of cases do the federal courts hear?

The Parties in Conflict:

8)       What types of parties are involved in a civil court case?

9)    What types of parties are involved in a criminal court case?

The Members of the Court:

10)     What does the judge do in a court of law?

11)     What does a jury do in a court of law?

Interpreting the Law:

12)       Explain how a court’s decision about an individual case can affect our society as a whole.

State Courts and Federal Courts:

13)     Describe the two interconnected court systems that make up our legal system.

14)     Where are most of the legal disputes and violations of the law decided?

Jurisdiction:

15)     What court has original jurisdiction?

16)     What happens if the defendant or plaintiff feels the court has made an unjust decision?

17)     What happens in an appeals court?

18)     Using the concept of double jeopardy, explain why the prosecution may not appeal when the defendant has been found innocent.

19)     In most states, which court is the final court of appeals?

20)     What are the three levels of the state court systems?

Cases Heard by Federal Courts:

21)     Who has original jurisdiction over most disputes that occur in the United States?

22)                What kinds of cases are heard by the federal courts?

23)     What is a major responsibility of the Supreme Court?