1. State Courts Ch. 11 Sec. 4 Pp. 310 - 313

2. What State Courts Do Most have trial courts, appeal courts, and a supreme court Hear civil and criminal cases Check other branches May decide a law violates the state constitution Protect rights and freedoms of citizens

3. Judges in State Courts Elected judges are responsible to public and election checks the power of the governor However, judges may try to please voters instead of making decisions based on the law Others say they should be chosen on merit, not popularity

4. Judges in State Courts Missouri Plan – a method for choosing judges Governor appoints a judge from a list made by judges, lawyers, and citizens Voters say “yes” or “no” and judge elected for a 12 year term

5. Judges in State Courts Most terms are 4-15 years Can be voted out at end of term Can be impeached Four states allow recall Judicial Action Committees –official governmental bodies that handle situations in which judges might not be doing their job well

6. Federalism and the Courts Most state constitutions offer greater rights and freedoms than the US Constitution When individual rights case come up, courts decide whether to apply state or federal Constitution. Line between federal and state is not always clear

7. Questions What is an advantage of electing state judges?

8. Questions Compared to the federal Constitution, some state constitutions offer______.

9. Questions What do judicial action commissions do?