Chapter 9

The role of the court reporter

(also called the court stenographer or court recorder) is to create a record of all that occurs during a trial.

the clerk of court

(also known as the county clerk) extend beyond the courtroom. The clerk maintains all records of criminal cases, including all pleas and motions made both before and after the actual trial. The clerk also prepares a jury pool, issues jury summonses, and subpoenas witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense.

In a criminal trial, Rob represents the accused, while Kiki represents the people and presents the state's case against the defendant. Kiki is the ____.

- the prosecuting attorney

What is true of state appellate courts?

A defendant can go from a court of appeals to a state supreme court for appeal.

defense counsel

A licensed trial lawyer hired or appointed to conduct the legal defense of a person accused of a crime and to represent him or her before a court of law. Also called defense attorney.

Juror

A member of a trial or grand jury who has been selected for jury duty and is required to serve as an arbiter of the facts in a court of law. Jurors are expected to render verdicts of "guilty" or "not guilty" as to the charges brought against the accused, although they sometimes fail to do so (as in the case of a hung jury).

Prosecutor

An attorney whose official duty is to conduct criminal proceedings on behalf of the state or the people against those accused of having committed criminal offenses. Also called county attorney; district attorney (DA); state's attorney; U.S. attorney.

Judge

An elected or appointed public official who presides over a court of law and who is authorized to hear and sometimes to decide cases and to conduct trials.

lay witness

An eyewitness, character witness, or other person called on to testify who is not considered an expert. Lay witnesses must testify to facts only and may not draw conclusions or express opinions.

Which of the following is true of the typical state court systems that existed following the American Revolution? A. They were uniform. B. Many of them had no provisions for appeal. C. Most of them had a clear distinction between original and appellate jurisdiction. D. They had no provision for a court to review a decision made by a lower court.

B. Many of them had no provisions for appeal

Appeal

Generally, the request that a court with appellate jurisdiction review the judgment, decision, or order of a lower court and set it aside (reverse it) or modify it. appearance (court) The act of coming into a court and submitting to its authority.

Tom and Beth are part of the courtroom work group. Steve represents the sole defendant; Ray is charged with lawsuit for assault in a bus; Nina is the person against whom Ray allegedly committed a criminal offense. Which of the following statements is true in this case?

Nina is likely to be the victim in this case

court of last resort

The court authorized by law to hear the final appeal on a matter.

prosecutorial discretion

The decision making power of prosecutors, based on the wide range of choices available to them, in the handling of criminal defendants, the scheduling of cases for trial, the acceptance of negotiated pleas, and so on. The most important form of prosecutorial discretion lies in the power to charge, or not to charge, a person with an offense.

original jurisdiction

The lawful authority of a court to hear or to act on a case from its beginning and to pass judgment on the law and the facts. The authority may be over a specific geographic area or over particular types of cases.

appellate jurisdiction

The lawful authority of a court to review a decision made by a lower court.

judicial review

The power of a court to review actions and decisions made by other agencies of government.

Courts of Limited Jurisdiction

Tv Shows like Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown, rarely hold jury trials, depending instead on the hearing judge to make determinations of both fact and law.

What constitutes the trial courts of the federal court system?

a U.S. district court

Bailiff

also called a court officer, is to ensure order in the courtroom, to announce the judge's entry into the courtroom, to call witnesses, and to prevent the escape of the accused (if the accused has not been released on bond

Expert witnesses

are recognized as having specialized skills and knowledge in an established profession or technical area

Trial courts of general jurisdiction

called high courts, circuit courts, or superior courts. authorized to hear any criminal case. In many states, they also provide the first appellate level for courts of limited jurisdiction.

Matt is a courthouse employee who maintains records of criminal cases, including motions made before, during, and after trial. He also prepares a jury pool, issues jury summonses, subpoenas witnesses, and supports the work of the court in other ways. However, he is not responsible for recording hearings that occur during a trial. Matt is likely to be a ____.

clerk of the court

Court administrators

provide uniform court management, assuming many of the duties previously performed by chief judges, prosecutors, and court clerks.