Ch.10 Sec.1

 Judicial System  Made up of the Supreme Court and over 100 other federal courts  Most important members are the judges  Civil Case  A case that involves a disagreement between two or more parties  Criminal Case  A court determines if the accused is innocent or guilty, and what the punishment would be if convicted

 Plaintiff  Individual or group who bring a complaint against another party  Defendant  The party who answers a complaint and defends against it  Can choose to have legal counsel represent them  Prosecution  Govt body that brings charges in a criminal case  Also referred to as “The People”

 Precedent  A guideline for how all similar cases should be decided in the future  The U.S. Legal System  Divided into federal and state  Most cases heard on the state level  Town and city courts fall under the state system

Federal Court System  Hears cases that involve:  Cases that involve the Constitution  Federal laws (treason, tax evasion)  Disagreements over $75,000  Diplomatic affairs (cases at sea, treaties, ambassadors)  Cases appealed from state supreme courts

 Original Jurisdiction  The court in which a legal case is first heard  Facts and an eventual verdict are determined here  Also called a trial court  Appeal  To ask a higher court to review the decision to see if justice was done  Appellate Jurisdiction  The authority of a court to hear an appeal  Also called an appeals court