CRJ chapter 9

Which of the following is a responsibility of the bailiff?

Announcing to the court that judge is entering the courtroom

What does a change of venue involve?

Holding the trial in a different jurisdiction

what is true about state appellate courts

if a defendant is not satisfied with the resolution by the state appellate court, he or she may try to appeal the case to the us supreme court

What is prosecutorial discretion

the decision-making power of prosecutors based on the wide range of choices available to them, most important power is to charge, or not to charge a person with an offense

a court of appeals hears appeals from

the district courts located within its curcuit

What is original jurisdiction

the lawful authority of a court to hear or to act on a case from its beginning and to pass judgement on the law and the facts.

the 94 judicial districts are organized into

13 circuits

the supreme court consists of _ justices

9

there are __ federal judicial districtssm

94

You received a traffic ticket and decide to go to court rather than just pay the ticket. Assuming all the following types of courts exist in your state, in which type of state court is your case most likely to be heard?

A court of limited jurisdiction

what are community courts

A low-level court that focuses on quality-of-life crimes that erode a neighborhood's morale emphasize problem solving rather than punishment and build on restorative principles like community service and restitution

What is the state court system

A state judicial structure. Most states have at least three levels: trial courts, appellate courts, and a state supreme court

What is a subpoena

A written order issued by a judicial officer requiring an individual to appear in court and to give testimony or to bring material to be used as evidence.

Which of the following is a criticism of public defenders and public defender programs?

Because they typically have huge caseloads, they may use plea bargaining excessively.

Which of the following statements regarding the use of cameras in courtrooms is true?

Most states prohibit the recording of jurors or juveniles, or of conferences between an attorney and the defendant or the judge.

During a criminal trial, the judge employs the Daubert standard to determine whether which of the following items of evidence is admissible?

Testimony from a physician explaining the level of accuracy of DNA evidence

Which member of the courtroom working group is responsible for maintaining custody of physical evidence during a trial?

The clerk of court

what is a bailiff

The court officer whose duties are to keep order in the courtroom and to maintain physical custody of the jury

What is appellate jurisdiction

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

Although federal district court judges may serve for life, why do many choose to serve a shorter term?

The salary received by district court judges is low compared to what they could earn in private practice.

what is the federal court system

The three-tiered structure of federal courts, comprising us district courts, us courts of appeal, and the us supreme court

what is the defense counsel

a licensed trial lawyer 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

what are jurors

a member of a trial jury who has been selected for jury duty and is required to serve as an arbiter of the facts in a court of law. Not expected to render verdicts or guilt or not guilty

What are expert witnesses?

a person who has special knowledge and skills recognized by the court as relevant to the determination of guilt of innocence, may express opinions or draw conclusions in their testimony

you have been arrested and charged with a felony you are indigent and cannot afford an attorney. so you ask the court to provide you with an attorney. the attorney representing you is employed by the state full-time to represent indigent defendants. What is your defender called

a public defender

What is daubert standard

a test of scientific acceptability applicable to the gathering of evidence in criminal cases

you are charged with a federal crime. in which of the following courts will you be tried

a us district court

Trial courts of general jurisdiction operate within a fact-finding framework called the

adversarial process

Jim is charged with manslaughter and is indigent, so he cannot afford to hire an attorney. He is being defended by Alison, a criminal attorney whose name was selected at random from a list of all criminal lawyers practicing in the jurisdiction of the trial court. Alison is not receiving her normal fee but is being paid at a rate set by the state government. What form of indigent defense is being used in this scenario?

an assigned counsel system

what is a public defender

an attorney employed by a government agency under contract to a government body for the purpose of providing defense services to indigents

who is the 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 offense

what is a judge

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

what is a lay witness

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

what is dispute-resolution center

an informal hearing place designed to mediate interpersonal disputers without restoring to the more formal arrangements of a criminal trial court

What are victims assistance programs

an organized program that offers services to victims of crime in areas of crisis intervention and follow-up counseling and that helps victims secure their rights under the law

what is exculpatory evidence

any information having a tendency to clear a person of guilt or blame

whar can be said abour power of

as

22-year-old Perry is charged with first-degree murder. During the trial, the defense attorney calls Janice, Perry's elderly next-door-neighbor, to the stand. Janice describes Perry's personality to the jury, and explains how he has always refused to take any payment for helping her around the house and yard, because he said it was the right thing to do. The defense attorney uses this information to try to persuade the jury that Perry would never commit a violent crime. Janice is an example of a(n)

character witness

Which of the following statements is true regarding circuit court judges, who are members of the U.S. courts of appeals?

circuit court judges are appointed by the president and confirmed by the us senate

What is true regarding defense counsel

communications between defense attorneys cannot be required or forced to reveal any information confided to them by their clients

The Supreme Court has rendered a decision in a controversial case and the Chief Justice has written the majority opinion. One of the associate justices agrees with the judgment of the Court but not with the reasoning of the Chief Justice. This justice may write a(n) ______________ to explain her reasoning.

concurring opinion

Suzette received a traffic ticket and wants to contest the ticket rather than paying it. To do this, she has to appear in traffic court. Traffic court is an example of a

court of limited jurisdiction

What are courts of limited jurisdiction

courts of law that have jurisdiction on a restricted range of cases, primarily lesser criminal and civil matters,

What are courts of general jurisdiction

courts of law with primary jurisdiction on all issues not delegated to lower courts

the role of the court reporter is to

create a record of all that occurs during a trial

the supreme court reviews the

decisions of lower courts and may accept cases from us court of appeals and state supreme courts

George has been convicted of sexual assault. However, after the case is over, his attorney discovers that the prosecutor had obtained evidence that would have proven George's innocence but had withheld it because he wanted a conviction in the high-profile case. This type of evidence is known as ________ evidence.

exculpatory

What can be said regarding the structure of the american court system

individual states have judiciary autonomy over their individual court systems separate from federal control

Joan works in a county mental health court that addresses both public safety concerns and the needs of defendants with mental illness. Defendants with serious and persistent mental illnesses are given treatment and counseling instead of being incarcerated in a jail or prison. Which of the following is true about the court in which Joan works?

it is a problem-solving court

Jack is employed in the state court system. He is responsible for ensuring that the court system operates smoothly and efficiently. What is Jack's role?

jack is a state court administrator

what are problem-solving courts

low-level specialized courts that focus on relatively minor offenses and handle special populations or address special issues

trial courts of limited or special jurisdiction are known as

lower courts

What are trial de novo

new trial. cases that are retried on appeal, as opposed to those that are reviewed on the record

At the federal level, appellate courts are most likely to reverse the decision of a lower court when hearing _________ appeals.

nonconsensual

the professionals in a court room are

official courtroom actors

______ jurisdiction is the lawful authority of a court to hear or act on a case from its beginning and to pass judgement on the law and the facts

original

participants in a criminal trial can be divided into 2 caegories

professinoals and outsiders

Deciding to dismiss a case for lack of evidence before the case comes to trial is an example of _________ discretion.

prosecutorial

There are 2 types of courts function within the american criminal justice system

state and federal courts

federal courts were created by

the constitution, Article II, Section one

What are courts of last resort

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

How has the Missouri Plan addressed the concern about allowing politics to enter the judicial selection process

the missouri plan requires candidates to be screened by a non partisan state judicial nominating committee

what is a change of venue

the movement of a trial from one jurisdiction to another or from one location to another. made in criminal cases to ensure that the defendant receives a fair trial

what is judicial review

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

what is true about the dual court system in the united states

the power of the federal government has been increasing and state's rights have gradually weakened

what is a courtroom work group

the professional courtroom actors, including judges, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, public defenders

in the us v bagley the court ruled that

the prosecution must disclose any evidence that the defense requests

What is an appeal

the request that a court with appellate jurisdiction review the judgement decision, or order of a lower court and reverse it or modify it

What is jurisdiction

the territory, subject matter, or people over which a court or other justice agency may exercise lawful authority, as determined by statute or constitution

what is true about dispute resolution centers

they handle minor violations of law

______ courts are where criminal cases begin

trial

the us district courts are the

trial courts of the federal court

How do community courts differ from dispute-resolution centers

unlike dispute resolution centers, community courts hand down sentences such as fines and a period of incarceration in jail without the need for further judicial review

which court serves as the trial court of the federal court system

us district court

The ________ is often one of the most forgotten people in the courtroom.

victim

You have been hired to work in the courthouse. Your job involves maintaining court records and paperwork, issuing summonses and subpoenas for witnesses, and preparing case files. During a trial, you record and mark any physical evidence that is introduced, and you also swear in the witnesses. What is your job?

you are the clerk of court