1. The Court System
Street Law

3. Trial Courts
Listen to testimony, consider evidence, and decide the facts in disputes.
Two Parties:
Plaintiff/Prosecutor & Defendant
The losing party in a trial can appeal a decision.
Adversarial system: contest between opposing sides.
Belief that it produces the best result
Critique- lawyers act as enemies, do not present all of the evidence.

4. Trial Courts: Judges & Juries
Protects rights, makes sure that attorney are following the rules and procedure.
In non jury trials they render a judgment
Sentence in most criminal cases
Juries:
Guaranteed by 6th amendment
Not used that often, most trials are decided before they even face a jury.
Must be 18, a citizen, understand English, resident of the State.
Screened through voir dire examination.

5. Appellate Courts Reviews decisions of trial courts
There are no juries or witnesses, and no new evidence can be presented.
Not available to all decisions, only if an error of law occurs.
Appellate court issues a written decision and sets a precedent for similar cases in the future. What is precedent?
Panel of judges makes the decision

6. State Courts General jurisdiction
Made up of different specialized courts: family, traffic, criminal, probate, small claims
If you lose a case in a trial court, you can appeal to intermediate appellate courts or directly to the State Supreme Court.
If the case only involves State laws it can appeal no further, if the case involves Federal laws than you can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

7. Federal Courts 94 Federal districts/12 regional circuits
Most Federal cases involve bankruptcy.
They do not hear as many cases as State courts.
Only can hear cases involving Federal law.

8. U.S. Supreme Court
Establishes most important legal precedents; all U.S. courts must follow their decision.
The Supreme Court consists of 9 appointed for life members.
8000 cases appealed, only 80 heard (mostly from prisoners~99% denied)
The U.S. Supreme Court sets own agenda.
If the court decides to hear, then each side submits a brief explaining how case should be decided.
Each side has ½ hour to present case.
Justices then deliberate
The dissenting opinion is important because it is often used as the basis for the precedent to be overturned later on.