The Judicial System

If you're guilty of forgetting what "due process" means, review these legal and judicial terms. Words related to the court system, civil rights, and criminal law are all on the docket. Will this list teach you all about the U.S. judicial system? Beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. amicus curiae brief
    a document filed by an outside party to influence a lawsuit
  2. antitrust law
    law intended to promote free competition in the market place by outlawing monopolies
  3. appeal
    a legal proceeding to review a lower court decision
  4. appellate
    relating to challenges to a legal decision
  5. bail
    money forfeited if the accused fails to appear in court
  6. civil law
    the non-criminal legal code established by a state or nation
  7. civil liberty
    one's freedom to exercise one's rights as guaranteed under the laws of the country
  8. civil right
    right belonging to a person by reason of citizenship
  9. class action
    a lawsuit brought by a representative member of a large group of people on behalf of all members of the group
  10. common law
    a law system based on priory decisions by judges
  11. concurrence
    agreement of results or opinions
  12. court of appeals
    a court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agencies
  13. criminal law
    the body of law dealing with offenses and their punishment
  14. defendant
    someone against whom an action is brought in a court of law
  15. dissent
    the difference of one judge's opinion from the majority
  16. docket
    the calendar of a court
  17. double jeopardy
    prosecution of the same crime twice
  18. due process
    administration of justice according to rules and principles
  19. equal protection of the laws
    a right guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and by the due-process clause of the Fifth Amendment
  20. felony
    a serious crime, such as murder or arson
  21. Fifth Amendment
    an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that imposes restrictions on the government's prosecution of persons accused of crimes; mandates due process of law and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy; requires just compensation if private property is taken for public use
  22. gag order
    a court ruling restricting information during a lawsuit
  23. grand jury
    a panel to determine if a case should be brought to trial
  24. habeas corpus
    a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge
  25. immunity
    an act exempting someone
  26. indictment
    a formal document charging a person with some offense
  27. judicial
    relating to the administration of justice
  28. judicial activism
    an interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)
  29. judicial review
    the court's power to decide whether a law is constitutional
  30. jurisdiction
    the right and power to interpret and apply the law
  31. jury
    a body of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a court of law
  32. Justice Department
    the United States federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (including the enforcement of all civil rights legislation); created in 1870
  33. libel
    the written statement of a plaintiff explaining defamation
  34. majority opinion
    the judgement joined by more than half of the court
  35. Miranda rule
    the rule that police (when interrogating you after an arrest) are obliged to warn you that anything you say may be used as evidence and to read you your constitutional rights (the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent until advised by a lawyer)
  36. misdemeanor
    a crime less serious than a felony
  37. opinion
    the legal document stating reasons for a judicial decision
  38. opinion poll
    an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people
  39. petit jury
    the group that decides the outcome of a legal trial
  40. plaintiff
    a person who brings an action in a court of law
  41. plea
    a defendant's answer by a factual matter
  42. plea bargain
    (criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge
  43. precedent
    a legal decision that influences subsequent decisions
  44. probable cause
    (law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizure
  45. public defender
    a lawyer who represents indigent defendants at public expense
  46. racial profiling
    the practice of targeting people due to their ethnicity
  47. remand
    refer a matter or legal case back to another authority
  48. reprieve
    a warrant granting postponement
  49. search warrant
    a warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to search for objects or people involved in the commission of a crime and to produce them in court; the warrant describes the locations where the officials may search
  50. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
  51. slander
    words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
  52. solicitor general
    a law officer appointed to assist an attorney general
  53. Supreme Court
    the highest federal court in the United States
  54. tort
    a wrongdoing for which an action for damages may be brought
  55. writ of certiorari
    a legal document requesting a higher court to review a case
  56. writ of mandamus
    an extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion; used only when all other judicial remedies fail
Created on Tue Jan 03 15:21:23 EST 2017 (updated Wed Apr 12 10:47:27 EDT 2017)

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