Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch Key Terms
4 types of Jurisdiction:
Original Jurisdiction
Appellate Jurisdiction
Concurrent Jurisdiction
Exclusive Jurisdiction
To hear a case first
To hear a case only on appeal
Two courts could hear the case
Only 1 court can hear the case
How does the Supreme Court work? What are the
responsibilities of the Chief Justice and the Associate
Justices.
U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice
Associate Justices
Appellate Court Decisions
Uphold the lower courts decision
Remand the Case
Send the case back to the lower court for a
re-trial
Overturn the lower courts decision
The federal court system
consists of
a. federal district courts, federal appeals
courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
b. federal appeals courts, state appeals
courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
c. federal district courts, state supreme
courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
d. local courts, state courts, and federal
district courts.
In which cases would federal courts
have jurisdiction?
a. disputes between two citizens of the
same state
b. violations of local ordinances
c. disputes between two states
d. violations of state laws
In which type of court do federal
trials and lawsuits usually begin?
a. state supreme courts
b. federal appeals courts
c. federal district courts
d. municipal courts
The job of an appeals court is to
a. review decisions made in lower courts.
b. sentence people who are convicted in
federal courts.
c. decide the defendant’s guilt or
innocence.
d. decide whether a law is allowed by the
U.S. Constitution.
What does it mean when a judge
uses precedent to arrive at an
opinion?
a. The judge does not refer to the U.S.
Constitution.
b. The judge relies heavily on previous
opinions in similar cases.
c. The judge asks for the opinions of
several other justices.
d. The judge arrives at an opinion unlike
any in the past.
What kinds of trials do district
courts hold?
a. They hold only criminal trials.
b. They hold only civil trials.
c. They do not hold trials.
d. They hold both criminal and civil trials.
Which of the following established
the principle of federal judicial
review?
a. U.S. Constitution
b. Supreme Court decision in Brown v.
Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
c. Judiciary Act of 1789
d. Supreme Court decision in Marbury v.
Madison
Which of the following can limit the
power of the Supreme Court?
a. political elections
b. special interest groups
c. Congressional legislation
d. lifetime appointments
How does a case come before the
Supreme Court?
a. All federal cases automatically come
before the Supreme Court.
b. The Senate determines the cases that
the Supreme Court will hear each year.
c. The justices of the Supreme Court
choose the cases they will hear.
d. Any case in which a state government
loses is appealed to the Supreme Court.
When can the Supreme Court rule
on the constitutionality of a law?
a. It can rule at any time.
b. It can rule only during a case.
c. It can rule within 30 days after the law is
passed.
d. The Supreme Court can never rule a
law unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court would have
jurisdiction in a case involving a
a. violation of freedom of speech.
b. real estate dispute between two large
companies in Texas.
c. traffic violation in Washington, D.C.
d. child custody dispute between divorced
parents.
Which of the following is an
appeals court allowed to do?
a. to retry a case
b. to call a jury
c. to reverse a lower court decision
d. to advise the Supreme Court
All Supreme Court Justices have
been
a. representatives.
b. lawyers.
c. senators.
d. political scientists.
Which group prosecutes people
accused of breaking federal laws?
a. U.S. attorneys
b. U.S. marshals
c. magistrate judges
d. probation officers
Which of the following correctly describes
the composition of the U.S. Supreme
Court?
a. five associate justices
b. nine associate justices and one chief
justice
c. five assistant justices, five associate
justices, and one chief justice
d. eight associate justices and one chief
justice
What is the significance of the
Supreme Court decision in the case
Marbury v. Madison?
a. It was the first case decided by the U.S.
Supreme Court.
b. It established the U.S. Supreme Court’s
right of judicial review in federal cases.
c. It established the U.S. Supreme Court’s
jurisdiction in cases between states.
d. It overturned the practice of “separate
but equal” in schools.
United States Court System
1.
1.
2.
U.S. Courts of Appeals
1.
3.
Limited original jurisdiction and appellate
jurisdiction
Appellate jurisdiction
U.S. District Courts
1.
Original jurisdiction
According to the graphic above, U.S.
district courts are the only federal courts in
which
The appellate jurisdiction of U.S. courts of
appeals, as shown above, means that
appeals courts have the authority to
Which court belongs in the box labeled 1
in the graphic above?
Steps in Supreme Court Decision
Making
1. Written Arguments
2. Oral Arguments
3. Conference
4. Opinion Writing
5. ?
Be able to find the answers to the
following questions:
At which step pictured in the graphic
above are briefs presented?
How many justices must be present for a
decision during the conference step listed
in the graphic above?
What is the last step that the Supreme
Court takes on a decision?