Term
courts that listen to
testimony, consider evidence,
and decide the facts in a
disputed situation |
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Definition
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Term
the people directly
concerned with or taking part in
any legal matter |
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Definition
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Term
in a civil case, the
injured party who brings legal
action against the alleged
wrongdoer |
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Definition
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Term
the state or federal
government's attorney in a
criminal case |
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Definition
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Term
the person against
whom a claim is made. In a civil
suit, the defendant is the person
being sued; in a criminal case,
the defendant is the person
charged with committing the
crime. |
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Definition
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Term
the judicial
system used in the United
States. It allows opposing
parties to present their legal
conflicts before an impartial
judge and jury. |
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Definition
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Term
play a more active role
under the inquisitional system (left)
than they do in the adversarial system |
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Definition
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Term
The use of ________ builds the
values of democracy into the
court system. |
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Definition
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Term
a European
method for handling disputes in
which the judge plays an active role
in gathering and presenting
evidence and questioning witnesses |
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Definition
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Term
in a criminal case,
the negotiations between the
prosecutor, defendant, and
defendant's attorney. In exchange
for the defendant agreeing to plead
guilty, the prosecutor agrees to
charge the defendant with a less
serious crime, which usually results
in a lesser punishment |
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Definition
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Term
_____for both the defense and
the prosecution screen prospective
jurors through the process of voir dire
examination |
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Definition
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Term
from the French phrase
meaning "to speak the truth." It is
the screening process in which
opposing lawyers question
prospective jurors to ensure as
favorable or as fair a jury as
possible |
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Definition
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Term
part of the jury
selection process. After voir dire,
opposing attorneys may request
removal of any juror who does not
appear capable of rendering a fair
and impartial verdict. |
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Definition
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Term
part of
the pretrial jury selection. Attorneys
on opposing sides may dismiss a
certain number of possible jurors
without giving any reason. There is
one exception: peremptory
challenges cannot be used to
discriminate based on race. |
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Definition
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Term
a court in which
appeals from trial-court decisions
are heard |
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Definition
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Term
a mistake made by a
judge in legal procedures or rulings
during a trial that may allow the
case to be appealed |
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Definition
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Term
an appellate court
decision on a legal question that
guides future cases presenting a
similar legal question |
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Definition
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Term
in an appeal,
the written opinion of the minority
of judges who disagree with the
decision of the majority |
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Definition
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Term
an additional
written court opinion in which a
judge or judges agrees with the
outcome reached by the court, but
for reasons different from those
used to support the majority
opinion |
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Definition
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Term
the process of proving
to a court that a will is genuine;
distributing property according to
the terms of a will |
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Definition
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