Texas Government 2306: Chapter 9, 10

According to the Texas Judicial Campaign Fairness Act, individuals can donate a maximum of __________ to candidates running for statewide judicial positions.

$5000

Each county has at least how many district courts?

1

In ________, the first woman to serve as a Texas state judge was appointed.

1935

Appeals at the level of the court of appeals are typically heard by panels of how many justices?

3

Which of the following best describes the requirement(s) necessary to be a judge of the Texas Supreme Court?

35 years of age, citizen of the United States, resident of Texas, practicing attorney or judge for at least 10 years

Which of the following best describes the requirement(s) necessary to be a judge of the courts of appeal?

35 years of age, citizen of the United States, residents of Texas, practicing attorney or judge for at least 10 years.

As of 2014, ________ percent of appellate judges in Texas were women, and ________ percent of district judges were women.

42; 31

The Texas Supreme Court consists of ________ justices.

9

What is the main difference between a home-rule city and a general-law city in Texas?

A general-law city is chartered for localities with a population of fewer than 5,000 persons.

The chief law-enforcement officer in county governments in Texas is the

Sheriff

Which court in Texas has automatic jurisdiction over all death penalty cases?

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Why is it difficult for voters to learn about judicial candidates in Texas?

Voters are called upon to vote for too many different judicial races in a single election.

Which standard must be met to prove that the defendant is guilty in criminal cases?

beyond a reasonable doubt

In what type of court would a justice of the peace handle minor criminal cases, less serious civil suits, and traffic/parking violations?

court of limited jurisdiction

The major trial courts in Texas are

district courts.

Texas officially uses which method to select state judges?

partisan election

Courts of appeal have the authority to do what?

review the decisions of lower courts to determine whether legal principles and court procedures were followed correctly

When you go to vote, you see a box at the top of your ballot that allows you to vote for every member of a particular political party running in that election. This is an example of

straight-ticket voting.

In Texas, which judicial candidate race is considered the most expensive, where candidates are likely to raise over $1 million?

supreme court

Since the late 1980s, the Texas Supreme Court has

taken a more pro-business direction.

An indictment is also known as a

true bill.

Municipal courts in Texas have jurisdiction over

violations of city ordinances.

In Texas, who collects the taxes owed to the county?

county tax assessor-collector

By the early 1980s, judicial candidates in Texas made a mass change in their campaign strategies. What was that change?

Candidates began switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?

Civil appeals

________ is the presentation of a grievance by the plaintiff in a civil case.

Complaint

In Texas, trial lawyers tend to support ________ judicial candidates.

Democratic

What is the major difference between campaigns of civil court judges versus criminal court judges?

The amount of money involved is much greater for civil court judicial campaigns.

What happens in a bench trial?

The defendant gives up his or her constitutional right to a trial by jury. Instead, the trial is conducted with only the judge.

Who serves on the county commissioners' court?

a county judge who is elected countywide and presides over the meetings, and four county commissioners who are each elected to represent about one-quarter of the population of the county

What is the most important type of case that the Texas Supreme Court handles?

a tort-law case

In Texas, county governments are responsible for which of the following tasks?

administration of social services

Federal judges are

appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

A ________ form of government is one in which public policies are developed by the city council and executive and administrative functions are assigned to a professional city manager.

council-manager

Even though judicial candidates mount campaigns for office, voters often know little about judicial candidates. As a result, they vote

for the party label.

Employee pensions are an issue for all levels of government in Texas. Which of the following is a change that has been recently implemented as a way to make pension plans more economically sound?

increased retirement age

The Texas Judicial Campaign Fairness Act

limits the amount of campaign contributions a judicial candidate can receive from an individual donor.

In a mayor-council form of government, the mayor ____________________ while the city council __________________.

serves as chief executive officer of the city, serves as the legislative body for the city

Constables are traditionally responsible for which of the following?

serving legal papers

In Texas, justice of the peace courts handle which kind of disputes?

small claims

In Texas, veterans' courts, DWI courts, and drug courts are types of

specialty courts

Which court hears appeals from justices of the peace and from municipal courts?

statutory county courts at law

County judges in Texas preside over

the county commissioners' court.

Civil rights organizations representing Latinos and African Americans have argued that for minorities to get elected into office

there must be small judicial districts where minority voters make up the majority.

Mayors are elected using at-large elections because

they represent the entire geographical area of the city rather than one specific district

What is the purpose of a grand jury?

to determine whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial, grand juries do not rule on the accused's guilt or innocence