Term | Definition |
CIRCUIT | Districts they serve. |
JURISDICTION | The authority to hear and decide a case |
EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION | Only federal courts may hear and decide cases. |
CONCURRENT JURISDICTION | Authority for both state and federal courts to hear and decide cases. |
DISTRICT COURT | The federal courts in which trails are held and lawsuits are begun. |
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION | The authority to hear cases for the first time. |
APPEALS COURT | To reviews decisions made in lower district courts. |
APPELLATE JURISDICTION | The authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court. |
REMAND | Sending the case back to the lower court to be tried again. |
OPINION | Offers a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind the court's decision. |
PRECEDENT | Gives guidance to other judges by offering a model upon which to base their own decisions on similar cases. |
JUDICIAL REVIEW | The court can review any federal, state, or local law of action to see if it is constitutional. |
CONSTITUTIONAL | Allowed by the constitution. |
DOCKET | Calendar |
BRIEF | A written document that explains one side's oposition on the case. |
MAJORITY IPONION | Presents the views of the majority of the justices on a case. |
UNANIMOUS OPINION | In which all the justices vote the same way. |
CONCURRING OPINION | Justice who agress with the majority decisions but has different reasons. |
DISSENTING OPINION | Justices who oppose the majority decisions. |
STARE DECISIS | A guiding principle for all judges. |