1. Chapter 18 Vocabulary: The Federal Court System
American Government
Chapter 18 Vocabulary: The Federal Court System

2. Inferior Courts – the lower federal courts, those beneath the Supreme Court
Jurisdiction – the authority of a court to hear (to try and decide) a case
Exclusive Jurisdiction – those cases that can only be held in federal courts
Concurrent Jurisdiction – federal and states share the power to hear cases
Plaintiff – the person who files suit
Defendant – the person whom the complaint is against

3. Original Jurisdiction – the court in which a case is first heard
Appellate Jurisdiction – a court that hears a case on appeal from a lower court
Criminal Cases – one in which a defendant is tried for committing some action that is declared by state or federal law to be a crime
Civil Cases – Involves a non-criminal matter – ex: divorce, child custody, disputes over land/boundary lines

4. Docket – a list of cases to be heard
Writ of Certiorari – an order by the court directing a lower court to send up the record in a given case for its review
Majority Opinion – it announces the Supreme Court’s decision in a case and sets out the reasoning on which it is based
Precedents – examples to be followed in similar cases as they arise in lower courts or the Supreme Court

5. Dissenting Opinions – often written by Supreme Court Justices who do not agree with the Supreme Court’s majority decision in a given case
Redress - satisfaction of a claim or payment
Court Martial – military courts; serve the special disciplinary needs of the armed forces and are NOT a part of the federal court system