Chapter 5 The court system in Texas

As of 2017, what percentage of all Texas judges are female?

35%

As of 2017, ___________ of Texans identify as Hispanic or Latino, while________ of all judges in the state identify as Hispanic.

39/ 17%

Texas uses______ to review the facts and decide whether evidence exists to try cases.

Both grand jury/ administrative hearings

A murder case with most likely first be tried in what kind of court?

District

The lowest number of states select judges through...

Legislative election

Of the following, who is most likely to be appointed to his or her initial seat on the court in Texas: a Supreme Court justice; a district court judge; the justice of the peace; or municipal court judge?

Municipal court judge

Which method of judicial selection leads to the highest degree of judicial responsiveness?

Non partisan election

Which method of judicial selections leads to the lowest degree of judicial competence?

Partisan election

How are appellate court judges selected in Texas?

Partisan elections

The frontline program entitled " justice for sale" highlighted how eight justices on the Texas Supreme Court in 1994 has received what about of donations?

$9 million

Which of the following bodies or individuals has some power to remove a Texas judge from office: the Texas Senate; the Texas governor; the Texas Supreme Court; or all of these answers are correct?

All of the answers are correct

In most states, which courts hear major criminal and civil cases: district courts; major trial courts; superior courts; or all of these answers were correct?

All the answers are correct

In merit systems, appointed judges rarely lose retention elections because...

Appointed judge does not run against opponent

Most voters go to the election booth with scant knowledge about the qualifications of judicial candidates, and they often end up voting... How?

By name familiarity

What are the kinds of county courts?

Constitutional county court/county courts at law

Most courts in Texas deal with: Criminal complaints; policy questions; controversies between individuals; or hypothetical complaints and other questions of law?

Controversies between individuals

In Texas, criminal appeals involving the death penalty are heard by what court?

Court of criminal appeals

What is the highest court for criminal cases in Texas?

Court of criminal appeals

Courts differ from legislatures in that: courts are easier to access; courts are not checked by the executive branch; courts cannot initiate policy changes: or courts are not governed by procedural rules?

Courts cannot initiate policy change

Justice of the peace (JP courts) In Texas can do all of the following except; issue arrest warrants; service small claims court; here criminal misdemeanor cases; or create records of proceedings for county courts to review?

Create records of proceedings for county courts to review

Texas has two supreme courts because.....

Criminal/ civil cases

In Texas, Appellate courts: Decide whether procedure was followed: determine the guilt or innocence; depend on high levels of citizen participation; or are local and limited?

Decide whether procedure was followed

The Texas Government code allows jurisdictions to draw upon which sources for jury selection?

Driver license

Which method of judicial selection is a system left over from colonial America?

Election by legislative

According to figure 5.5, what is the most common way of selecting an appellate court judges?

Merit plan

Across all 50 states, the most common method of selecting state supreme court judges is...

Merit plan

The strict procedural rules that govern courts: limit access to the courts; might disallow evidence gathered in an illegal manner; allow other states to introduce policy questions; or allow them to initiate policies?

Might disallow evidence gathered in an illegal manner

A justice of the peace court is what kind of court?

Minor/magistrate court

What kind of criminal case is a county court likely to hear?

Misdemeanor

The merit system used to identify and select judges is also known ass...

Missouri plan

Judges appointed by the governor's are typically: more responsive and more competent; more competent and less responsive; more independent and more responsive; or less independent and less responsive?

More competent and less responsive

According to a 2006 Texans for public justice study, the Texas Supreme Court....

More likely to hear cases filed by large contributors

What is the most often called for fix to the problems caused by straight ticket voting in Texas?

Nonpartisan election of state judges

Judges must base their decisions only on the federal and state constitutions, statutes, and earlier court decisions. This concept is called...

Objectivity

Which method of judicial selections leads to the lowest degree of judicial independence?

Partisan election

How are trial court judges selected in Texas?

Partisan elections

The highest number of states' courts use which method for selecting trial courts ( Including municipal levels) Judges?

Partisan elections

Which method for removing judges for misconduct is used by the fewest states?

Removal of governor

What is the most important difference between trial and Appellate courts?

Trial decide facts/ appellate law was followed

Why does the US have a duel court system?

We have a federal government

If a court makes a ruling based on the principle established in a previous ruling from another court, it is an example of...

Stare decisis

In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban counties to unknown Republican challenger is because of...

Straight ticket voting

Which of the following is true of typical grand juries: they stay in session for one year ; they ideally serve to prevent arbitrary excesses by prosecuting attorneys: they typically conduct independent investigations into the facts of a case ; or they are usually limited to screening minor cases?

They ideally serve to prevent arbitrary excesses by prosecuting attorneys