A Very Brief Introduction That You May or May Not Remember  Judicial System Unit A Very Brief Introduction That You May or May Not Remember 

The Judicial System of the United States is divided into two levels: National State

Courts at both levels handle two types of cases …. Criminal Civil

Criminal Cases These involve accusations by the government that someone has broken a law

Criminal Cases guilty Defendants are found or not guilty

Or you could get a combination of all three! Criminal Cases (cont.) If found guilty one or all of the following could happen: Jail Time Probation Fine Or you could get a combination of all three!

Civil Cases This is a private dispute involving two or more individuals, businesses or governments

Cases are found in favor of the Civil Cases (cont) Cases are found in favor of the or Defendant Plaintiff

Plaintiff In a civil case, the plaintiff is the one making the accusation – they often seek payment of damages or the enforcement of a contract or regulation

Defendant Civil Defendant – the person, business, or government that is being sued.

Defendant Criminal Defendant – the person accused of committing the crime

Jurisdiction The right of a court to hear a certain type of case There are three types of jurisdiction 1 2 3

Original Jurisdiction This means the court has the authority to be the first to hear a case. I'm first!!

Appellate Jurisdiction The ability to hear cases on review, or appeal, from lower courts.

Appeal To ask a court to review a legal issue that occurred during your trial. You CANNOT simply appeal because you lost.

Limited Original Jurisdiction This means that some cases begin at the highest level.

In conclusion …. Two levels to our judicial system Two types of cases Three types of jurisdiction All Done !