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| Basis for the American legal system in which a passive judge and jury seek to find the truth by listening to opposing attorneys who vigorously advocate on behalf of their respective sides. |
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| Courts that do not try criminal cases but hear appeals of decisions of lower courts. |
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| The court appearance of the accused person in which the charges are read and the accused, advised by a lawyer, pleads guilty or not guilty. |
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| An amount of money specified by a judge to be paid as a condition of pretrial release to ensure that the accused will appear in court as required. |
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| A written order or summons, issued by a law enforcement officer, directing an alleged offender to appear in court at a specified time to answer a criminal charge. |
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| Basis for legal systems in Europe in which the judge takes an active role in investigating the case and asking questions of witnesses in court. |
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| The geographic territory or legal boundaries within which control may be exercised; the range of a court's authority. |
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| A reform plan by which judges are nominated by a commission and appointed by the governor for a given period. When the term expires, the voters are asked to approve or disapprove the judge for a succeeding term. If the judge is disapproved, the committee nominates a successor for the governor's appointment. |
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| An application to a court requesting that an order be issued to bring about a specified action. |
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| An election in which candidates' party affiliations are not listed on the ballot. |
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| An election in which candidates openly endorsed by political parties are presented to the voters for selection. |
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| Holding a defendant for trial, based on a judge's finding that, if the defendant were released on bail, he or she would flee or would endanger another person or the community. |
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| Release on recognizance (ROR) |
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| Pretrial release granted on the defendant's promise to appear in court, because the judge believes that the defendant's ties in the community guarantee that he or she will appear. |
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| Trial courts of general jurisdiction |
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| Criminal courts with jurisdiction over all offenses, including felonies. In some states these courts also hear appeals. |
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| Trial courts of limited jurisdiction |
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| Criminal courts with trial jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases and preliminary matters in felony cases. Sometimes these courts hold felony trials that may result in penalties below a specified limit. |
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| Specialized courts that impose drug testing and counseling requirements on substance abusers and monitor their progress instead of sending them immediately to jail or prison. |
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