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Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch Vocabulary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Crime | Any act that breaks the law and for which a punishment has been established |
| Criminal Law | Part of the legal system that deals with crimes, or actions that are harmful or dangerous to society |
| Civil law | Resolving disagreements between individuals or groups, not against the state |
| Common law | Law that develops from judges decisions |
| Precedent | An earlier court decision that guides judges decisions in later cases |
| Constitutonal law | Law based on the US Constitution and Supreme Court decisions |
| appeal | The right of a convicted person to ask a higher court to review their case |
| jursdiction | The area of athority to hear a court case and enforce the law |
| District courts | Lower federal courts that have original jurisdiction in most cases involving federal law |
| Courts of appeals | Federal courts that review decisions appealed from district courts |
| justices | Title given to judges of the supream court |
| judicial review | The power of the Supreme Court; it determines if a law passed by Congress or a presidential action goes against the constitution |
| opinion | A written statement by the US Supreme Court explaining its reasoning behind a decision |
| Concurring opinion | A statement written by a Supreme Court Justice who agrees with the majority's decision but for different reasons |
| Dissenting opinion | A statement written by a Supreme Court Justice who disagrees with the majority's decision |