Ch. 3 Court Systems

Front 1

litigate

Back 1

to allow a court to resolve their disputes.

Front 2

mediator

Back 2

tries to develop a solution acceptable to both sides of the dispute.

Front 3

arbitrator

Back 3

usually holds an informal hearing to determine what happened.

Front 4

trial court

Back 4

the court in which a dispute is first heard.

Front 5

verdict

Back 5

decision.

Front 6

original jurisdiction

Back 6

power to make these intial decisons of fact and law.

Front 7

appellate court

Back 7

reviews decisions of lower courts when a party claims an error of law was made during the lower court's proceeding.

Front 8

transcript

Back 8

a verbatim record of what went on at trial.

Front 9

appellate briefs

Back 9

written arguments on the issues of law, submitted by the opposing attorneys.

Front 10

general jurisdiction

Back 10

a court that can hear almost any kind of case.

Front 11

specialized jurisdiction

Back 11

a court that hears hears only one specific type of case.

Front 12

writ of certiorari

Back 12

an order that compels the lower court to turn over the record of the case to the Supreme Court for review.

Front 13

court of record

Back 13

keeps an exact account of what goes on at trial.

Front 14

associate circuit

Back 14

a court that hears minor criminal cases, state traffic offenses, and lawsuits in which relatively small amounts are involved.

Front 15

county corts

Back 15

another name for associate circuit.

Front 16

munincipal courts

Back 16

usually divided into traffic and criminal divisons.

Front 17

small claims courts

Back 17

a court that handles disputes in which small amounts, generally 2,500 dollars or less, are involved.

Front 18

juvenile courts

Back 18

in these courts, the juvenile is entitled to his or her full constitutional rights, including the right to be represented by an attorney.

Front 19

probate courts

Back 19

the courts that administer wills and estates to accomplish this task.