Texas Govt. Section 4
If you were wrongfully convicted and exonerated, then the Timothy Cole Act requires that the state pays you __________________ per year you wrongfully spent in prison.
$80,000
In Texas, felony juries are composed of ________ people and misdemeanor juries are composed of ________.
12;6
How many courts of appeals are there?
14
In 2018, approximately how many people worked for the state bureaucracy in Texas?
325,000
Today, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the prison system. Who runs this agency?
A nine-member board that is appointed by the governor
In the state of Texas, which group is most overrepresented, relative to the Texas population on death row?
African American men
The presentation of a defendant's defense against an allegation in a civil case.
Answer
Suppose you are a juror on a felony case. How many members of the jury would need to vote the same way to render a decision?
Any decision needs to be unanimous
The chief lawyer for Texas is the
Attorney general
Which of the following are NOT roles that the governor is expected to fulfill?
Chief Economist
The criminal jurisdiction of the justice of the peace courts covers
Class C misdemeanors
What is the presentation of a grievance by the plaintiff in a civil case called?
Complaint
You have been injured in a motor vehicle accident with a large tractor-trailer and have filed a civil suit against the driver and trucking company. You've hired an attorney to represent you in this lawsuit, and your attorney will only get paid if you win the case. You've hired an attorney using a ___ basis
Contingency fee
Felony cases in Texas are often prosecuted by
District attorneys
County civil courts are responsible for commitment of individuals to mental institutions and guardianship of those who are unable to handle their own affairs.
False
Grand juries decide the guilt or innocence of the accused.
False
In Texas, only police officers and sheriffs are licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
False
It is more expensive to place a person on probation than in prison
False
The Texas governor is considered by most to be the most powerful person in Texas government.
False
The average time spent on death row prior to execution is 252 days.
False
The governor of Texas dominates Texas government.
False
There are no limitations or restrictions on when the governor can use the line-item veto.
False
When a town is too small to have its own police department, it must form a cooperation agreement with a neighboring town to provide policing services.
False
The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters.
False (Secretary of State)
The attorney general, as a member of the plural executive charged with enforcing the laws, has the ability to declare martial law.
False (only the governor)
In criminal cases, a verdict of guilty can be be found by a simple majority vote
False (unanimous vote)
The attorney general's office offers binding opinions to state agencies concerning the legality of actions.
False (offers advisory opinions)
How does being convicted of a felony in Texas impact your ability to vote?
Felons are allowed to vote upon full discharge of their sentence
Individuals who cannot afford an attorney have a constitutional right to have one appointed to them. Which Supreme court case was instrumental in guaranteeing this right?
Gideon v. Wainwright
When referring to the governor as "Chief Executive" we are referring to
Gubernatorial control over the state bureaucracy
The State Bar of Texas is a unique organization because
It is a professional organization, but it also performs functions on behalf of the government, such as disciplining members for violating ethical standards and rules.
What is the purpose of the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas?
It reviews state agencies every 12 years to see if they are still needed
Located at the base of the Texas judicial structure are the municipal courts and the
Justice of the peace courts
In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor?
Lieutenant Governor
In addition to meeting the age, citizenship, and residency requirements, which of the following would you need in order to be a viable candidate for governor in Texas?
Money, since campaigns have become very expensive
A Texas courts authority to hear a case for the first time is defined as
Original jurisdiction
In civil cases, the burden is on the plaintiff, and the standard that must be met is known as
Preponderance of the evidence
The _________ is the only member of the plural executive to be appointed rather than elected to office.
Secretary of state
The governor may be removed from office only by impeachment with conviction by the
Senate
Courts that can review matters relating to probate, which is the disposition of estates and property of deceased people, are referred to as what?
Statutory probate court
Before 1978, partisanship was not a factor in Texas judicial elections because
Texas was effectively a one-party state
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.
Which actor is most powerful or influential with respect to the use and content of special sessions of the legislature?
The governor because only the governor can call a special sessions she or she gets to set the agenda for the sessions as well
If the governor does not think that a piece of legislation that has been passed by both the House and Senate should become law, them he or she can ___ the legislation.
Veto
Why was straight-ticket voting a concern with respect to judicial selection in Texas?
When voters use straight-ticket voting, judges with years of experience can be voted out of office based on nothing but party affiliation
Why is it important to not only look at formal qualifications for governor, but to also look at the informal qualifications as well?
While the formal qualifications tell us that millions of Texans can run for office, the informal ones tell us who has a chance to win
If you are convicted of a misdemeanor
You can be sentenced up to a year in jail, but do not lose your right to vote or to possess a weapon
Which of the following is a qualification to serve on either the Texas Supreme Court or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals?
have been either a judge or a practicing lawyerfor at least 10 years
Which of the following are formal constitutional qualifications required to be governor?
have lived in Texas for five years immediately before the election
The legislative budget
is given full consideration by the House and Senate once it is prepared and submitted by the Legislative Budget Board
Each county has at least how many district courts?
one
If you are elected to serve as the county attorney, then your office is in charge of
representing the state in misdemeanor criminal cases
As a result of criminal justice reforms in Texas, if prosecutors want to use testimony from jailhouse informants, they must also
share with the defense attorneys the criminal history of the jailhouse informant and anything offered to the informant in return for his or her testimony
Who can file a complaint with the State Commission of Judicial Conduct?
the public, attorneys, and members of the judiciary
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
An indictment is also known as a
true bill
The comptroller of public accounts directs the collection of taxes for the state of Texas.
True
The licensing of police officers in Texas is regulated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. How are the nine members of this commission selected?
They are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate
What is the primary task of the Secretary of State?
To handle elections and voter registration
After you are arrested, you will be arraigned before a judge where the charges against you will be explained.
True
Ann Richards was the second woman to serve as governor in Texas.
True
As long as Texas was a one-party state, judicial elections were effectively non-partisan
True
Capital convictions (death penalty cases) are appealed directly to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
True
In Texas, lawyers are able to continue practicing law and representing clients when they are charged with a crime but have not yet been found guilty by a court of committing that crime.
True
In Texas, the county judge presides over the county commissioner's court
True
In a criminal trial, there must be a unanimous verdict for the defendant to be found guilty.
True
Law firms cannot give more than $30,000 to any candidate for statewide juridical position
True
Members of a Grand jury sit for a set period of time, generally from two to six months
True
Most civil cases are settled prior to trial.
True
Scientific advances in DNA technology have helped exonerate many people who were wrongfully convicted
True
Texas leads the nation in the number of state-sanctioned executions.
True
The attorney general in Texas focuses primarily on civil matters.
True
County judges preside over
county commissioners court
The primary trial courts in the State of Texas are the
district courts
Executive power in Texas is
divided among multiple officials, each elected by the people, to ensure that no one person has too much power.
As part of his or her military and police power, the governor has responsibility for which of the following?
the Texas Rangers and the Texas National Guard under certain circumstances
You are an owner of a family farm that raises chickens, and you're concerned about changes that the state recently made to animal quarantine laws. You want to talk to the person who is in charge of actually enforcing these laws. Whom do you contact?
the agriculture commissioner
As the chief budget officer of Texas,
the governor submits an executive budget that outlines his or her spending priorities for the next biennium.