| A | B |
|---|
| Answer | Formal written document that admits or denies each allegation of the complaint and states any defenses that the defendant plans to use. |
| Appellate Court | Courts that have the authority to hear appeals and review cases from lower courts. |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | Authority of court to review a decision of a lower court or administrative agency. |
| Arraignment | Procedure in which the accused is brought before the court, read the indictment or information, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty. |
| Arrest | Action when a person is deprived of his or her freedom. |
| Bail | Money or other property that is left with the court to assure the court that the person will return to stand trial. |
| Complaint | Legal document containing a short and plain statement of the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant. |
| Contempt of Court | Action that hinders the administration of justice in court. |
| Court | Governmental forum that administers justice under the law. |
| Court of Record | Accurate, detailed report of what went on at a trial. |
| Delinquent Child | Minor, under a certain age (usually sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen), who has committed an act that would be a crime if done by an adult. |
| Detention Hearing | Hearing whether there are good reasons for keeping the accused in custody and whether or not there are special circumstances affecting the case. |
| Due Process | An administrative agency decision-making, notice of charges or potential rule making coupled with opportunity to appear, present evidence, and confront witnesses if warranted. |
| Due Process of Law | Constitutional requirement for fundamental fairness in our legal and court system. |
| Ex Parte Injunction | Injunction issued by a judge after hearing only one side of an argument. |
| General Jurisdiction | Authority of a court to hear a wide range of cases. |
| Grand Jury | Jury of inquiry. It is a group of citizens called together by a court official to determine whether there is enough evidence to justify accusing certain persons of certain crimes. |
| Indictment | Written accusation issued by the grand jury charging the individual or individuals named in it with a certain crime. |
| Injunction | Court order issued by a judge ordering a person to do or not to do something. |
| Intermediate Court | Court between the lower court and the highest court. Also called appellate court. |
| Judgment | Final result of a trial. |
| Jurisdiction | Power of a court to decide a case. |
| Jury | Panel of citizens sworn by a court to decide issues of fact in court cases. |
| Justice | Title of a judge on the state Supreme Court or federal Supreme Court. |
| Juveniles | Individuals over 13 and under 18 years of age who have special status under the criminal law. |
| Limited Jurisdiction | Authority of a court to hear only one particular type of case. |
| Minor | Young person who has not reached the age of legal adulthood. Eighteen is now generally accepted as the age of legal adulthood. |
| Municipal Court | City court, usually divided into traffic and criminal divisions. |
| Original Jurisdiction | Power to hear the case in full for the first time. |
| Precedent | When judge is required to follow an earlier court decision when deciding a case with similar circumstances. Also called doctrine of stare decisis. |
| Probate Court | Administers wills and estates. |
| Procedural Defense | Defense based on problems with the way evidence is obtained or the way the accused person is arrested, questioned, tried, or punished. |
| Procedural Law | Group of laws that define the methods for enforcing legal rights and duties. |
| Prosecutor | Party that accuses the person of a crime. The plaintiff. |
| Punitive Damages | Money a court requires a defendant to pay in order to punish and make an example of the defendant. |
| Real Defense | Defense that may be used against a holder in due course in a legal action involving a negotiable instrument; a defense that prohibits a holder in due course from collecting on a negotiable instrument. |
| Small Claims Court | Special court intended to handle small claims on debts quickly and simply. |
| Stare Decisis | Doctrine that requires lower courts to follow existing case law in deciding similar cases. |
| Statue of Limitations | State laws setting time limit for bringing a lawsuit. |
| Statutes | Laws enacted by state or federal legislatures. |
| Trial Court | First court to hear a dispute. |
| Unruly Child | Minor who has done something that would not be a crime if it were done by an adult. |
| Verdict | Decision of the jury. |
