Choices Chapter 11: The Judicial System In Texas

Front 1

In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court halted executions in all the states by

Back 1

striking down all death penalty laws as unconstitutional.

Front 2

Civil lawsuits, which can be brought under numerous statutes, involve conflicts between two or more parties.

Back 2

True

Front 3

People sentenced to life in prison can be considered for parole after serving _____ years.

Back 3

40

Front 4

District and county clerks make up eligible jurors lists from

Back 4

Texas driver's licenses and DPS identification cards.

Front 5

Civil litigants and criminal defendants may NOT waive their right to a jury trial, even if they believe it would be to their advantage to have their case decided by a judge, if they are accused of

Back 5

capital murder.

Front 6

In the Texas Supreme Court's public education finance decision, the court held that school finance laws violated the constitutional requirement for an _____ educational system.

Back 6

efficient

Front 7

When police officers in Texas read criminal suspects their rights, the officers are complying with constitutional requirements determined by the Texas Supreme Court.

Back 7

False

Front 8

Refusing to show up for jury duty can lead to fines and in some cases, jail time.

Back 8

True

Front 9

Establishment-oriented justices, usually elected with the support of the state's largest law firms, tend NOT to view their judicial role as one of

Back 9

judicial activists

Front 10

In order to convict a defendant of a felony in Texas, the jury decision must be

Back 10

unanimous

Front 11

Statutory county courts

Back 11

have inconsistent jurisdictions because each one was set up to deal with specific local problems

Front 12

The federal judiciary has ordered sweeping improvements in

Back 12

the state prison system.

Front 13

During the early part of the 1970s, the legislature enacted the _____ Act, a move that encouraged injured parties to take their grievances to court.

Back 13

Deceptive Trade Practice-Consumer Protection

Front 14

Throughout much of its history, the Texas _____ has been blamed with excessive concern for legal technicalities that benefit convicted criminals.

Back 14

Court of Criminal Appeals

Front 15

One group that is NOT grossly under-represented among judges is

Back 15

men.

Front 16

Most municipal courts and all justice of the peace courts are

Back 16

not courts of record.

Front 17

The existence of two courts at the highest level of the state judiciary is referred to as a

Back 17

bifurcated court system.

Front 18

Constitutional county courts hear cases on appeal from

Back 18

municipal courts and justice of the peace courts.

Front 19

Under both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions, a person charged with a crime is

Back 19

presumed innocent until the state can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a judge or jury.

Front 20

Over time, the U.S. Supreme Court has gained compliance with the law by applying the Fourteenth Amendment

Back 20

principles of equal protection and due process.

Front 21

The Texas _____ must try to balance the constitutional rights of convicts against the public welfare.

Back 21

Court of Criminal Appeals.

Front 22

District court judges

Back 22

hear cases involving divorce, slander and election disputes.

Front 23

Unlike federal judges, who are appointed by the president to life terms, state judges in Texas, except for those on municipal courts, are

Back 23

elected to limited terms in partisan elections.

Front 24

Civil lawsuits involve conflict

Back 24

between two or more parties.

Front 25

At the highest appellate level, Texas has a bifurcated court system sending criminal and civil cases to the same court.

Back 25

False

Front 26

At the appellate level, rather than juries hearing cases, judges

Back 26

review the decisions and procedures of the lower courts to determine conformance to constitutional and statutory law.

Front 27

The lowest courts in Texas are the

Back 27

justice of the peace and municipal courts.

Front 28

Grand juries

Back 28

are each made up of twelve people selected by a district judge.

Front 29

Justice of the peace courts

Back 29

have original civil and criminal jurisdiction, and function as small claims courts.

Front 30

The Texas judiciary, particularly in urban areas, has become overloaded by

Back 30

criminal cases.

Front 31

Most criminal activities are defined and their punishments established in the

Back 31

Penal Code.

Front 32

Under the _____ ruling, police are required by the courts to inform us of our rights.

Back 32

Miranda

Front 33

_____ is considered the most serious crime in Texas.

Back 33

Capital Murder

Front 34

The primary trial court in Texas is the

Back 34

district court.

Front 35

The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for all cases in the state of Texas.

Back 35

False

Front 36

The authority of a court to try or resolve a civil lawsuit or a felony prosecution being heard for the first time is known as

Back 36

original jurisdiction.

Front 37

The Court of Criminal Appeals

Back 37

hears only criminal cases.

Front 38

In criminal cases in which the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the judge must

Back 38

declare a mistrial.

Front 39

A panel that reviews evidence submitted by prosecutors to determine whether to indict an individual with a criminal offense is called the grand jury.

Back 39

True

Front 40

The Texas Supreme Court does NOT

Back 40

have disciplinary authority over Texas federal judges.

Front 41

The primary trial court in Texas is the county court.

Back 41

False

Front 42

Criminal cases range from traffic offenses, punishable by fines, to capital murder, punishable by life in prison.

Back 42

True

Front 43

Some courts have only original jurisdiction, meaning they can only try cases heard for the second time.

Back 43

False

Front 44

A nine-member court with final appellate jurisdiction over civil cases is the Texas

Back 44

Supreme Court

Front 45

As in other states, Texans are not subject to the jurisdiction of both state and federal court systems.

Back 45

False

Front 46

The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for all cases in the state of Texas.

Back 46

False

Front 47

Over time, the U.S. Supreme Court has applied the Bill of Rights to the states by way of the ________ clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Back 47

principles of equal protection and due process

Front 48

A 1999 study suggested that business-related litigants had been the big winners in cases before the Texas Supreme Court during the previous four years.

Back 48

True

Front 49

Grand juries

Back 49

are each made up of twelve people selected by a district judge.

Front 50

Judges in Texas have been accused of siding with litigants who give large campaign contributions.

Back 50

True

Front 51

The Texas Supreme Court became entangled in the abortion issue in early 2000 after a national law went into effect requiring parents to be notified by the doctor before their minor daughters could have abortions.

Back 51

False

Front 52

What benefits do a nonpartisan election system for judges, which some advocate be used in Texas, offer?

Back 52

It would guard against partisan bickering on the multimember appellate courts and eliminate the possibility of a poorly qualified candidate being swept into office by straight-ticket voting.

Front 53

Why did the U.S. Supreme Court halt executions in all states in 1972?

Back 53

It declared capital punishment unconstitutional as it violated the constitutional prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment because it could be applied in a discriminatory fashion.

Front 54

In order to be indicted by a grand jury, the law requires up to eight votes to issue a true bill.

Back 54

False

Front 55

At the highest appellate level, Texas has a bifurcated court system that sends criminal and civil cases to the same court.

Back 55

False

Front 56

Justice of the peace courts

Back 56

have original civil and criminal jurisdiction, and function as small claims courts.

Front 57

What was the result of the Texas Supreme Court ruling in the 1989 Edgewood school case?

Back 57

It ordered basic changes in the financing of public K–12 education in order to provide more equity between rich and poor school districts.

Front 58

Under both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions, a person charged with a crime is presumed

Back 58

innocent until the state can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a judge or jury.

Front 59

Ruby Sondock of Houston was the first woman to serve on the Texas Supreme Court.

Back 59

True

Front 60

In order to convict a defendant of a felony in Texas, the jury decision must be

Back 60

unanimous.

Front 61

The authority of a court to try or resolve a civil lawsuit or a felony prosecution being heard for the first time is known as

Back 61

original jurisdiction.

Front 62

The federal judiciary has ordered sweeping improvements in

Back 62

the state prison system.

Front 63

________ is considered the most serious crime in Texas.

Back 63

Capital murder