tyler k

Chapter 8 Vocabulary
Federal Court System

1.	Jurisdiction- the official power to make legal decisions and judgments
2.	Exclusive jurisdiction- Exclusive jurisdiction refers to power of a court to adjudicate a case to the exclusion of all other courts.
3.	Concurrent jurisdiction- Concurrent jurisdiction is the ability to exercise judicial review by different courts at the same time, within the same territory, and over the same subject matter.
4.	Plaintiff- a person who brings a case against another in a court of law.
5.	Defendant- an individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law.
6.	Original jurisdiction.- The original jurisdiction of a court is the power to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to appellate jurisdiction, when a higher court has the power to review a lower court's decision
7.	Appellate jurisdiction- appellate jurisdiction is the power of a higher court to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts
8.	Judicial restraint- Judicial restraint is a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power.
9.	Judicial activism- Judicial activism refers to judicial rulings suspected of being based on personal or political considerations rather than on existing law
10.	Precedent- an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.
11.	Senatorial courtesy- a custom whereby presidential appointments are confirmed only if there is no objection to them by the senators from the appointee's state, especially from the senior senator of the president's party from that state.
12.	Grand juries- a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of an accusation before trial.
13.	Bankruptcy-the state of being completely lacking in a particular quality or value.
14.	Misdemeanor- a nonindictable offense, regarded in the US (and formerly in the UK) as less serious than a felony.
15.	Public defenders- a lawyer employed at public expense in a criminal trial to represent a defendant who is unable to afford legal assistance.
16.	Marshals- an officer of the highest rank in the armed forces of some countries, including France.
17.	Appellant- a person who applies to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court.
18.	Briefs- close-fitting legless underpants that are cut so as to cover the body to the waist, in contrast to a bikini.
19.	Sovereign immunity- Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine by which the sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution
20.	Courts martial- a judicial court for trying members of the armed services accused of offenses against military law.
21.	Writ of certiorari- It is also the name given to certain appellate proceedings for re-examination of actions of a trial court, or inferior appeals court.
22.	Docket- a calendar or list of cases for trial or people having cases pending
23.	Majority opinion- In law, a majority opinion is a judicial opinion agreed to by more than half of the members of a court.
24.	Concurring opinion- In law, a concurring opinion is a written opinion by one or more judges of a court which agrees with the decision made by the majority of the court, but states different (or additional) reasons as the basis for his or her decision.
25.	Dissenting opinion- A dissenting opinion (or dissent) is an opinion in a legal case written by one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court which gives rise to its judgment.