| A | B |
|---|
| Federal Courts | headed by the Supreme Court, Federal Appellate courts, District courts and special courts |
| State Courts | headed by the State Supreme Court, Appellate Courts and lower courts |
| Original Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to hear a case for the first time |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to hear a case that was tried in a lower court for errors. |
| Concurrent Jurisdiction | The authority of 2 courts to hear the same case - shared jurisdiction |
| Exclusive Jurisdiction | Only certain courts have the authority to decide certain cases |
| Appellate Court | A court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agencies is: |
| US Supreme Court | The highest judicial body in the United States that leads the federal judiciary |
| Judicial Review | A power of the Supreme Court to judge an act or law unconstitutional |
| US Court of Appeal | The intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system. |
| US District Court | The general trial courts of the United States federal court system. |
| Misdemeanors | A "lesser" criminal act that is generally punished much less severely than more serious crimes. |
| Felonies | A serious crime like murder, rape, kidnapping, etc. |
| Complaint | Formal notice that a lawsuit is being brought, names defendant and plaintiff |
| Prosecutor | A lawyer that starts and carries out a legal action |
| Defendant | The person or party accused of a crime or injury in a trial |
| Arrest Warrant | A court order authorizing a person’s arrest |
| Subpoena | An order for a person to appear in court to produce documents or to testify |
| Majority Opinion | A judicial opinion agreed to by a majority of the members of a court |
| Concurring Opinion | A statement written by a judge who votes with the majority but for a different reason |
| Dissenting Opinion | Statement written by a judge who disagrees with the majority of the judges in a case |
| Preliminary Hearings | Pre-trial meetings to try to settle motions and to investigate accusations |
| Plea | When an accused person tells the court if they are innocent or guilty |
| Brief | Written document filed with a court before oral arguments begin containing all facts & points of law pertaining to the case |
| Oral Argument | Oral presentation of a party’s side in a court case |
| Public Defender | Lawyer who works full time representing criminal defendants who are too poor to hire attorneys |
| Perjury | Lying under oath |
| Plea Bargain | An agreement when the defendant agrees to plead guilty but to a lesser charge or sentence |
| Verdict | The finding of a jury or judge in a trial |
| Indictment | A formal charge by a grand jury |
| Grand Jury | A formal group that looks to see if there is enough evidence to try an accused person |
| Petit Jury | A trial jury of the accused person’s peers |
| Sentence | The fines, probation or sentence a guilty person receives from a criminal trial |
| Capital Offenses | A crime so serious that the death penalty is considered |
