Chapter 11: The Federal Court System

The next step: The grand jury would issue an indictment, charging Joe Brown with a crime. a. True b. False

a. True

This justice headed a special commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. a. Chief Justice Earl Warren b. Justice Thurgood Marshall c. Justice Robert Jackson d. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

a. Chief Justice Earl Warren

Due Process Clause

Fourteenth Amendment clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

Indictment

A formal charge by a grand jury.

Separate but Equal Doctrine

A policy which held that if facillities for different races were equal, they could be separate.

Judicial Circuit

A region containing a United States appellate court.

Concurrent Jurisdiction

A situation where both federal and state courts have jurisdiction.

Senatorial Courtesy

A system in which the president submits the name of a candidate for judicial appointment to the senators from the candidate's before formally submitting it for full Senate approval.

Petit Jury

A trial jury, usually consisting of 6 or 12 people, that weights the evidence presented at a trial and renders a verdict.

Appellate Jurisdiciton

Authority held by a court to hear case that is appealed from lower court.

Opinion

A written explantaion of a Supreme Court decision; also, in some states, a written interpretation of a state constitution or state laws by the state's attorney general.

Litgants

People engaged in a lawsuit.

Trial Court/Original Jurisdiction

The court in which a case is originally tried.

Riding the Circuit

Traveling to hold court in a justice's assigned region of the country.

The United States is divided into 12 regions, each one with... a. district courts. b. United States Tax Courts. c. concurrent courts. d. U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

a. district courts.

These courts derive their power from the Constitution and federal laws. a. federal courts b. due process clause courts c. concurrent courts d. state courts

a. federal courts

These courts help Congress exercise its power according to Article I of the Constitution. a. legislative courts b. district courts c. appellate courts d. territorial courts

a. legislative courts

The Federal courts handle cases involving bankruptcy and... a. maritime law. b. regulatory laws. c. civil liberties. d. public policy.

a. maritime law.

According to the graph, what is the greatest determinant for appointing justices? a. party affiliation b. race c. gender d. ethnicity

a. party affiliation

"Trial judges, because of the multitude of cases they hear which remain unheard or unchanged by appellate courts, as well as because of their fact- and issue-shaping powers, appear to play an independent and formidable part in the policy impact of the federal court system upon the larger political system." — Kenneth M. Dolbeare, 1969 In this passage Kenneth M. Dolbeare expressed his opinion, stating that these are key players in the political system. a. trial judges b. defense attorneys c. Supreme Court justices d. appellate courts

a. trial judges

According to the graph, what is the percentage difference between and Reagan and Clinton? a. 62 b. 22 c. 32 d. 50

b. 22

Which Chief Supreme Court justice heard the landmark cases listed in the chart? a. Justice Taney b. John Marshall c.Thurgood Marshall d. William Rehnquist

b. John Marshall

Chief Justice William Howard Taft led a campaign for the nomination of this justice. a. Harry Blackmun b. Pierce Butler c. Sandra Day O'Connor d. William Rehnquist

b. Pierce Butler

"Legislation is powerless to eradicate racial instincts or to abolish distinctions." Which Supreme Court decision made this claim in response to a state requiring separate train cars for white and African American passengers? a. Marbury v. Madison b. Plessy v. Ferguson c. Brown v. Board of Education d. Dred Scott v. Sandford

b. Plessy v. Ferguson

What landmark case, which established the "separate but equal doctrine," was heard by the Supreme Court in 1896? a. Marbury v. Madison b. Plessy v. Ferguson c. Brown v. Board of Education d. Dred Scott v. Sandford

b. Plessy v. Ferguson

A formal accusation handed down by the grand jury is... a. a verdict. b. an indictment. c. an appeal. d. a litigant's right.

b. an indictment.

Explanation for the Supreme Court's decision is called... a. a legal draft. b. an opinion. c. litigation. d. judicial referee.

b. an opinion.

Which important courts fit the descriptions listed in the diagram? a. appellate courts b. federal district courts c. territorial courts d. tax courts

b. federal district courts

A trial court has... a. appellate jurisdiction. b. original jurisdiction. c. concurrent jurisdiction. d. federal jurisdiction.

b. original jurisdiction

This is the trial jury. a. grand jury b. petit jury c. federal jury d. state jury

b. petit jury

These courts are similar to district courts in function, operation, and jurisdiction. a. grand jury courts b. territorial courts c. petit jury courts d. judicial courts

b. territorial courts

"Trial judges, because of the multitude of cases they hear which remain unheard or unchanged by appellate courts, as well as because of their fact- and issue-shaping powers, appear to play an independent and formidable part in the policy impact of the federal court system upon the larger political system." — Kenneth M. Dolbeare, 1969 Trial judges are able to shape policy because... a. they have little fact-shaping power. b. their decisions are usually final. c. they are dependent on the circuit courts. d. the Constitution grants them this power.

b. their decisions are usually final.

This is the court of last resort in all questions of federal law. a. district court b. territorial court c. Supreme Court d. appellate court

c. Supreme Court

Which court hears appeals from the highest state courts? a. U.S. Court of Military Appeals b. 12 U.S. Courts of Appeals c. Supreme Court d. U.S. Court of International Trade

c. Supreme Court

A court of appeals has... a. original jurisdiction. b. grand jury jurisdiction. c. appellate jurisdiction. d. concurrent jurisdiction.

c. appellate jurisdiction.

These are the workhorses of the federal judiciary system. a. grand juries b. petit juries c. district courts d. state courts

c. district courts

If you are registered to vote or have a driver's license, you may be called... a. for an indictment. b. by a judicial circuit. c. for jury duty. d. to be a litigate.

c. for jury duty.

"Legislation is powerless to eradicate racial instincts or to abolish distinctions." The Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson contained this text. What recent legislation, which is based on racial and cultural issues, defies this notion? a. mail fraud legislation b. terrorism laws c. hate crime legislation d. Americans with Disabilities Act

c. hate crime legislation

These courts derive their power from the state constitutions and laws. a. constitutional courts b. concurrent courts c. state courts d. federal courts

c. state courts

The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution and... a. federal law. b. draft treaties with foreign nations. c. uphold regulatory laws. d. settle land disputes between states.

c. uphold regulatory laws.

This justice served as the chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals. a. Chief Justice Earl Warren b. Justice Harry Blackmun c. Chief Justice William Howard Taft d. Justice Robert Jackson

d. Justice Robert Jackson

What landmark case was overturned by the Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education? a. Marbury v. Madison b. Gibbons v. Ogden c. Dred Scott v. Sandford d. Plessy v. Ferguson

d. Plessy v. Ferguson

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has jurisdiction over the... a. 94 District Courts. b. Military Courts. c. Territorial Courts. d. U.S. Court of International Trade.

d. U.S. Court of International Trade.

One of these appellate courts is in each of 12 regions across the United States. a. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces b. territorial courts c. Court of International Trade d. U.S. Court of Appeals

d. U.S. Court of appeals

A state may not take a person's life, liberty, or property without... a. a Supreme Court opinion. b. appellate jurisdiction. c. original jurisdiction. d. due process.

d. due process

After being indicted, Joe Brown would argue his case before a... a. court of appeals. b. territorial court. c. U.S. Court of Federal Claims. d. federal district court.

d. federal district court.

People engaged in lawsuits are called... a. criminals. b. victims. c. justices. d. litigants.

d. litgants.

Traveling to hold court in assigned regions is called... a. territorial court. b. district court. c. traveling court. d. riding the circuit.

d. riding the circuit.