Exam 3 CJ -- Chapter 9 and 10
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Defendants are entitled to a lawyer in any trial, even non-capital cases. Courts are required to provide a lawyer if the defendant cannot. The only way a defendant cannot have a counsel is if they knowingly waive their right.
Batson v. Kentucky (1986)
Supreme Court ruled that the use of peremptory challenges specifically to exclude African American jurors violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment -prosecutors cannot use a peremptory challenge to exclude a potential juror solely on the the basis of race
district courts
U.S. district courts of general jurisdiction -94 district courts -hear cases, review evidence, apply legal reasoning in deciding a case
amicus curiae
a brief submitted by a "friend of the court" -may also be submitted by outside parties that have an interest in the case
Subject Matter Jurisdiction
a court based on type of crime that was committed -based on type of case that court is allowed to hear
appellate jurisdiction
a court that hears appeals -concerned with issues of law and whether there were errors made by the trial court
concurring opinion
a judge who agrees with the decision made by the majority but perhaps differs in the reasoning provided by the Court
Brady v. Maryland (1963)
requires that prosecutors must disclose any exculpatory evidence in a criminal case to the defense
federal court system
responsible for managing criminal, civil, and administrative cases under federal law, and local law for the U.S. territories
second female justice(1993)
ruth bader ginsburg
first female justice (1981)
sandra day o'connor
criminal law requires that a criminal court...
satisfy a burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt
first woman of color to serve on supreme court
sotomayor
we have a dual court system
state and federal, both work separate and together in a similar fashion
private counsel is appointed by the judge to provide the defendant with an attorney at the expense of the local or state government. true or false?
true
to date, only four women have served on the supreme court: Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sandra Sotomayor, Elena Kagan. true or false?
true
turnover on the court is a slow process because members of the SC are appointed for life and many serve until death, true or false?
true
when a jury is involved, the judge provides instructions to the jury and answered questions about the law. true or false?
true
in some cases, you can be appointed a private counsel to represent a defendant. true or false?
true -this occurs in districts and states where an office of the public defender has not been established
private appointed counsel or an alternative defender is also used in cases where a codefendant is already represented by the public defender's office. true or false?
true -due to a conflict of interest, this office cannot represent the defendant and the codefendant
federal law and state law can contradict each other, true or false?
true ex. legalization of marijuana by Washington and Colorado, no state punishment for possession but can face punishment under federal law
appellate courts
use a judge or a panel of judges to render a decision -decision at this level can either reverse or uphold the verdict of the lower court
concurrent jurisdiction
when acts that happened in the crime are illegal under both federal law and state law --> as a result, up to federal government to decide whether it will prosecute a case or allow the state to do so, both have jurisdiction
Missouri Plan
-A method of selecting judges that combines appointment and election -3 steps -(1)candidates are nominated by a citizen committee -(2)nominees are presented to either the governor or the head of states judicial system, who then makes a selection -(3) once the appointed judge has served for a year, his or her name appears on a ballot as part of retention election (allows residents of the state to determine whether the individual should remain in position)
cases involving both criminal and civil court
-O.J Simpson (murder case) -Jameis Winston (rape case)
courts of limited jurisdiction
-at the lowest level -misdemeanor cases -specific types of cases: drug, domestic violence, mental health
duties of magistrate courts
-authorizing search and arrest warrants and conducting detention hearings, initial appearances, and arraignments -bulk of work involved civil cases
prosecutor
-brings case to court -represents the state in criminal cases -represents larger community -lead prosecutor is usually an elected official -have high degree of discretion -lead prosecutors and deputy prosecutors in larger jurisdictions -they determine whether charges will be filed, offering a plea bargain and details of the negotiation
magistrate courts
-first level of courts in the federal system -limited jurisdiction -generally hear misdemeanor cases or pretrial matters for more serious cases
U.S. Supreme Court
-highest court that can hear cases on criminal law -generally only hear cases that involve a constitutional question (ex. defendants constitutional rights were violated as a result of her or his criminal conviction) -nine justices -justices are selected by the president of the US and confirmed by the senate -justices appointed for life
courts of general jurisdiction
-no restrictions -hear most felony cases
five primary ways in which a judge is selected(many states use a combination of methods)
-partisan or nonpartisan election -appointment system (governor of state or legislature appoints) -majority of state use combined process aka Missouri plan
state appellate courts
-the appellate level is divided into intermediate level appellate courts as well as a court of last resort, aka as the state supreme court (11 state don't have an intermediate level of appeal)
who hears the cases in the U.S. courts of appeals?
-three judge panel -rare instances, a case may be heard 'en banc' = (full bench hears the case)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Established Miranda warnings of counsel and silence. Must be given before questioning.
Mapp v Ohio (1961)
Established exclusionary rule; illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court
what cases do state appellate courts here?
- 4 different types of cases - appeals by right (cases the appellate court must hear) (majority of cases heard in state appellate courts are these, generally involving appeals by permission cases) -appeals by permission (reviews lower decisions that the court may choose to accept) -hear cases in which death penalty was imposed -cases that hold original jurisdiction
Three burdens of proof
1. Preponderance of the Evidence 2. Clear and Convincing Evidence 3. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Preponderance of the Evidence- 51% - for normal civil cases; only property interests Clear and Convincing Evidence- 70%+ - for guardianship/conservatorship types of cases; liberty and property interests Beyond a Reasonable Doubt- 95%+ Proof - for criminal cases; life, liberty, and property interests
who decided whether or not to hear a case in the US SC
4/9 must vote in its favor
bailiff
An officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment and provides assistance to members of the jury
dissenting opion
An opinion disagreeing with a majority in a Supreme Court ruling
ancillary members (3)
Bailiff, Clerk, Court Reporter
Katz v. United States (1967)
Expanded the 4th amendment protection against illegal searches, police must obtain a warrant to search and seize evidence in any instance where the defendant has a reasonable expectation of privacy
4th Amendment
Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures
Terry v. Ohio (1968)
Police can search and seize if they have probable cause/suspicion that the person is armed and is about to engage in a criminal act
5th Amendment
The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process, protects individual from self-incrimination -can't be tried for the same crime twice -cannot be compelled to testify against themselves
Strickland v. Washington (1984)
To show that ineffective assistance of counsel violated the right to counsel, defendants must prove that the attorney committed specific errors that affected the outcome of the case
writ of certiorari
a petition to the U.S. SC to hear a case -court hears only a select few of the cases that it is asked to review each year
court system in the US
adversarial system
circuit courts
as appellate courts, the circuit courts hear cases to determine whether there was error in how the law was applied
civil courts requires that a civil case...
burden of proof: lower standard: preponderance of the evidence
13 courts of appeals called...?
circuit courts
only other african american justice
clarence thomas
what are trial courts
concerned with issues of fact -in these courts, evidence is presented, decisions of guilt are made -may use jury to make a decision
majority opinion
court and its legal reasoning becomes the decision of the case
where does a criminal case begin?
court of original jurisdiction or a trial court, where the case is heard for the first time
Title IX
provides several educational rights to students, including a requirement that colleges and universities investigate allegations of rape and sexual assault
most common offense heard by district courts
drugs(32%) -immigration (26%) (second)
exculpatory evidence
evidence that is favorable to the defense and may exonerate a defendant from any criminal wrongdoing
jurisdiction of the court depends on...
geographical jurisdiction, concurrent jurisdiction , subject matter jurisdiction , and appellate jurisdiction
criminal courts
hear issues of criminal law
civil courts
hear matters of civil law
brief
if a case is granted certiorari, both sides will submit a brief that outlines the legal arguments of their case
prosecutorial misconduct
include behaviors such as the use of perjured testimony, failing to disclose preferential treatment given to a jailhouse informant or misstating the law to the jury which then impacts their decision making process
U.S. courts of appeals
intermediate courts that hear appeals from the U.S. district courts or from federal administrative courts
courtroom workgroup
judge, prosecutor, defense attorney (3 primary members)
Geographical Jurisdiction
local offense = local municipal court state offense = state court federal offense = federal court -a court based on the geographical location in which the crime was committed
clerk
manages paperwork for the courtroom and works closely with the judge
magistrate judges
only judges in federal system that are appointed in manner that is different from other federal judicial appointments -have term limits -selected by the district court judiciary and serve a term for 8 years
oral arguments
parties appear in front of the 9 justices
court reporter
prepares the transcript of the trial and other official hearings
judges
preside over the courtroom -primary decision maker -listens to information and makes decisions applying the law -judge decides whether probable cause exists in a case, determines bail, rules pretrial motions, ensures right of defendant upheld -during trial, judge officiates over the proceedings and rules
what two competing parties in our courts system (US)
prosecution and defense
Innocence Project
prosecutorial misconduct was a factor in 36% to 42% of cases in which an offender was ultimately exonerated by DNA
American Bar Association
provides guidance for ethical challenges for prosecutors
what does the term 'en banc' mean in the U.S. courts of appeals?
the full bench hears the case
what happens after the oral arguments in the SC?
the justices meet to discuss the case and cast their votes to make a decision -decisions are written down in an opinion, which is then used to guide future decisions un similar cases (aka precedent)
defense attorney
the lawyer representing the defendant
judges are appointed by who?
the president (then confirmed by the senate and serve a life term)
appellants
those who are appealing
6th Amendment (1791)
those who have been accused of a crime have the right to an attorney, if cannot afford...the government must provide one to him or her
first justice of color (1967)
thurgood marshall -used to be an attorney
what is the purpose of the state criminal courts?
to try cases that allege violations of state criminal law -majority of criminal cases are heard in state courts -state courts are organized into four tiers based on subject matter jurisdiction
majority of cases involving criminal matters are hard in what type of courts?
trial courts
80% of the justices have been white, male, and protestant in the SC, true or false?
true
In order for a case to reach the SC, all appeals in the lower courts have to be exhausted, true or false?
true
Texas handles significantly more cases than anywhere else in the nation. true or false?
true
attorney in civil case, represents the individual, true or false?
true
cases can violate both civil and criminal law, true or false?
true
criminal cases make up the majority of all cases heard in both intermediate courts of appeals and courts of last resort, true or false?
true
federal judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate, true or false
true
federal law applies to all 50 states but state law only applies to the jurisdiction of that particular state, true or false?
true
federal level, 93 U.S. attorneys, one for each office, true or false?
true
if a prosecutor loses at trial, there is no option to appeal the decision, true or false?
true
in criminal court, only the accused can file the first appeal, true or false?
true
in order to satisfy the burden of the 6th amendment, most jurisdictions have established an office of the public defender. true or false?
true
in some cases, the defendant can act as her or his attorney or to proceed through the case without assistance of counsel. true or false?
true
in the absence of a jury, the judge listens to evidence presented and makes a determination of guilty or not guilty. true or false?
true
majority of cases handled in state courts are heard by limited jurisdiction courts, meaning the offenses tend to be less serious in nature. true or false?
true
most common type of criminal act is a violation of state law, true or false?
true