| A | B |
|---|
| jurisdiction | the right of a court to hear and decide a case |
| plaintiff | the person filing a lawsuit |
| defendant | the person named in a lawsuit |
| civil case | case i which the plaintiff feels he has been wronged by the defendant and is seeking to recover monetar compensation or equitable treatment |
| criminal case | the government seeks to bring legal action against the defendant because he has wronged society by his behavior |
| trial | an official examination of available evidence in a court of law |
| original jurisdiction | the right of a court to be the FIRST to hear and decide a case |
| indictment | a formal accusation against the accused issued by a grand jury |
| acquittal | sets the accused free because of insufficient evidence |
| appeal | a request that a higher court reveiw the case records and verdict of a lower court |
| appellate jurisdiction | the right of a court to review the ruling of a lower court |
| precedents | past decisions involving similar cases |
| judicial review | the right of the Supreme Court to declare a law, or action based upon that law, unconstitutional |
| amicus curiae | friend of the court briefs filed by individuals who are not parties in the case but still have an interest in its outcome |
| bill of rights | a statement of an individual citizen's legal privileges |
| Establishment Clause | declaration that Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion |
| Free Exercise Clause | declaration that Congress shall not prohibit the free exercise of religion |
| slander | false speech abot another's reputation |
| libel | false writing about another's reputation |
| Brady Law | 1993 law restricting the sale of handguns by requiring a waiting period fro their purchase |
| warrant | a written statement issued by a judge which gives a law officer the legal right to search for a particular thing in a specific place |
