| A | B |
|---|
| inferior courts | lower federal courts beneath the Supreme Court |
| jurisdiction | authority of a court to hear a case |
| exclusive jurisdiction | powers of the federal courts alone to hear certain cases |
| concurrent jurisdiction | power shared by federal and State courts to hear certain cases |
| plaintiff | in civil law, the party who brings a suit or some other legal action against another (defendant) in court |
| defendent | in a civil suit, the person against whom a court action is brought by the plantiff; in a criminal case, the person charged with a crime |
| original jurisdiction | the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court |
| appellate jurisdiction | the authority of a court to review decisions of inferior (lower) courts |
| criminal case | case in which a defendant is tried for committing a crime as defined by the law |
| civil case | case involving a noncriminal matter such as a contract dispute or a claim of patent infringement |
| docket | court's list of cases to be heard |
| writ of certiorari | order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up the record in a given case for review (to be more certain) |
| certificate | method of putting a case before the Supreme Court (used when a lower court is not clear about procedure or rule of law that should apply) |
| majority opinion | (Opinion of the Court) announces the Court's decision in a case and sets out the reasoning upon which it is based |
| precedent | Court decision that stands as an example to be followed in the future, similar cases |
| concurring opinion | written explanation of the views of one or more judges who support a decision reached by a majority of the court (emphasize a point not made in the decision) |
| dissenting opinion | written explanation of the view of one or more judges who disagree with a decision reached by the majority of the court |
| redress | satisfaction of a claim payment |
| civilian tribunal | a court operating as part of the judicial branch (separate from military establishment) |
| court martial | a court composed of military personnel, for the trial of those accused of violating military law |
