And the Federal Courts A courts authority to

And the Federal Courts

§ A court’s authority to hear and decide a case.

§ A written law passed by a legislative body

§ The sole right to hear and decide a certain type of case, depending either on the subject matter of a case or the parties involved.

§ Cases that fall under jurisdiction of both state and federal courts.

§ The person making a legal complaint in court.

§ The person against whom a complaint is filed.

§Lawyers appointed by the court to represent defendants in criminal trials who cannot afford to hire legal counsel.

§A minor crime.

§Panels of citizens set up to hear evidence of a possible crime and to recommend whether the evidence is sufficient to file criminal charges.

§ The authority of a court to be the first court to hold a hearing.

§ The authority of some courts to review decisions made by lower courts.

§A person who files an appeal.

§Written arguments filed by the parties in an appeal.

§The list of cases to be heard before a court.

§ An earlier court decision that guides judges’ decisions in later cases.

§An order by a higher court seeking a review of a lower court case.

§ The concept that the Constitution should be interpreted more broadly, as an evolving document, something that subsequent generations can interpret consistent with changing values and circumstances.

§ The concept that a judge should interpret the Constitution based on the Framers’ original intentions.

§The Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that is signed by at least five of the nine members of the Court.

§Statement written by Supreme Court justices who disagree with the majority’s decision; these opinions do not have a direct legal impact on the case, but they can influence future judgments.

§Statements by Supreme Court justices who agree with the overall conclusion in the case, but stress some different or additional legal reasoning.