Government Test 3- Review(Part 3)

County judges in Texas preside over

county commissioners court

Texas officially uses which of these methods to select state judges?

partisan election

Courts of appeal have the authority to do what?

review the decisions of lower courts to determine whether legal principles and court procedures were followed correctly

Municipal courts in Texas have jurisdiction over

violations of city ordinances.

If you are convicted of a misdemeanor in Texas,

you can be sentenced to up to a year in jail, but do not lose your right to vote or to possess a weapon.

What does the "three strikes" provision of Texas criminal law require?

A person convicted of three felonies (or in some cases two felonies) is sentenced to life imprisonment.

In Texas, the most serious felony is ________, for which the penalty can be death or life imprisonment without parole.

capital murder

What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?

civil appeals

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 practicing lawyer for at least 10 years

If a person cannot provide bail on his or her own or cannot pay a bondsman, then the accused can, in some circumstances, be released

on personal recognizance.

Each county in Texas has at least how many district courts?

one

How does being convicted of a felony in Texas impact your ability to vote?

Felons are allowed to vote upon full discharge of their sentences.

is the idea that the Supreme Court should assert its own interpretation even if it overrules the views of the elected executive and legislative branches of government.

Judicial activism

_________________ can result in a jail sentence while ____________________ can result in a prison sentence.

Misdemeanors; felonies

Money that is provided by the defendant to make sure that he or she shows up for any required court appearances is called

bail

Civil law focuses on __________________, while criminal law focuses on __________________.

disputes about relationships, obligations, and responsibilities; violations of codes of right and wrong as determined by criminal statutes

A serious criminal offense that subjects a person to state prison punishment is a(n)

felony

District courts in Texas usually have ________ jurisdiction, meaning that they hear a broad range of civil and criminal cases.

general

The Supreme Court striking down a piece of federal legislation would be in line with

judicial activism.

Where are county courts located?

mostly in rural parts of Texas

The literalist or strict construction approach to Supreme Court cases is most challenged when a case involves

situations not envisioned by the authors of the Constitution.

In Texas, justice of the peace courts handle which kind of disputes?

small claims

In a felony case, before a defendant goes to trial, who grants a verdict that there is sufficient evidence to begin prosecution and that a threshold of probable cause has been met?

the grand jury

If a judge practices judicial restraint, then she would believe

that her role is not to override the elected legislative and executive branch but to defer to them.

What is the purpose of a grand jury?

to determine whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial