TX Gov't. Chapter 5: Court System
district court
A murder case would most likely first be tried in a/an:
is more than 7 times as likely to hear cases filed by large contributors
According to a 2006 Texans for Public Justice study, the Texas Supreme Court
municipal judges
All Texas judges are selected by partisan elections EXCEPT:
vacancies from death or resignation require expensive special elections
All of the following are concerns about TX judicial selections EXCEPT:
43.5%; 15%
As of 2015, ___ of texans identify as hispanic or latino while ____ of all judges in the state identify as hispanic
34%
As of 2016, what percentage of all Texas judges are female
for any reason
Cases heard in trial de novo courts can be appealed
Courts cannot initiate policy changes
Courts differ from legislatures in that:
Controversies between individuals
Most court cases in Texas deal with
a municipal court judge
Of the following, who is most likely to be appointed to his or her initial seat on the court in Tx?
more than $9 million in donations
The Frontline program entitled "Justice for Sale" highlighted how justices on Texas' supreme court had received:
both registered voters and licensed drivers
The Texas Government Code allows jurisdiction to draw upon which source(s) for jury selection?
Fourteenth
The ____ Amendment guarantees citizens in each state due process and equal protection of the law regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender
black
The highest percentage of Texas inmates are
more competent and less responsive
judges appointed by governors are typically:
Constitutional county courts and county courts at law
What are the two kinds of county courts?
the court of crimminal appeals
What is the highest court of criminal cases in Tx
deciding points of fact versus points of law
What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts?
removal by the governor after a hearing
Which method for removing judges for misconduct is used by the fewest states?
election by the legislature
Which method of judicial selection is a system left over from colonial America
nonpartisan election
Which method of judicial selection leads to the highest degree of judicial responsiveness
It is a safe issue that offends few voters
Why do political candidates often use the "tough on criminals" campaign strategy?
the federal system of goverenment
Why does the U.S. have a dual court system
magistrate court
a justice of the peace court is a/an:
merit plan
according to the figure what is the most common way of selecting Appellate court judges
nonpartisan elections
across all fifty states, the most common method for selecting trial court judges is:
hear traffic ticket appeals
justices of the peace in TX can do all of the following EXCEPT:
by name familiarity
most voters go to the election booth with scant knowledge about the qualifications of judicial candidates, ad they often end up voting
partisan election
how are supreme court judges selected in texas
partisan election
how are trial court judges selected in tx
2
how many elections must a judge win prior to being seated on the bench under the Texas partisan election system
district courts
in most states, which courts hear major criminal and civil cases?
a merit plan
the highest number of state courts use this method for selecting judges:
legislative appointment
the lowest number of states select judges through
name familiarity
what is the primary attribute voters use to select judges
partisan election
which method of judicial selection leads to the lowest level of judicial independence
Policy diffusion
If a court makes a ruling based on a previous ruling form another court, this is an example of the principle of:
straight ticket voting
In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban countries to unknown Republican challengers because of
fifth highest
In 2014, Texas' incarceration rate was ___ in the nation
Decide whether procedure was followed
In Texas, appellate courts:
the Court of Criminal Appeals
In Tx, criminal appeals involving the death penalty are heard by
the appointed judge does not run against an opponent
In merit systems, appointed judges rarely lose retention elections because:
Objectivity
Judges must base their decisions only on the federal and state constitutions, statutes, and earlier court decisions. This is concept is called:
both grand juries and administrative hearings
Texas uses ____ to review the facts and decide whether enough evidence exists to try cases.
the Missouri system
The merit system used to identify and select judges is also known as
Might disallow evidence gathered in an illegal manner
The strict procedural rules that govern courts:
