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Government Unit 4- Texas Judiciary System
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76
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Undergraduate 2
05/04/2011

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Term
How many courts of various, overlapping jurisdiction in Texas
Definition
2,600
Term
What is a Civil matter
Definition
Anything from a tenant breaking lease to manufactures liability of faulty tires causing death.
Term
Set Public policy by reviewing the actions of the executive and legislative branches of government.
Definition
State Courts
Term
Criminal Case Punishment
Definition
Can be range from fines to death penalty
Term
Some streamlining of Texas' judicial process was accomplished in ___(year)
Definition
1981
Term
The Supreme Court declared the white primary election unconstitutional in the case of -
Definition
Smith v. Allwright 1944
Term
The US and Texas _____ form the basic legal framework of the Texas Court system.
Definition
Constitution
Term
In criminal Cases, the __ initiates action agains a person accused of a crime.
Definition
State
Term
The body of Texas law that defines criminal offenses and sets a range of punishments that can be assessed is the-
Definition
Penal Code
Term
Minor Crimes, usually punishable by a fine and/or a short sentence in county jail are called-
Definition
Misdemeanors
Term
Grounds for civil lawsuits
Definition
Noncriminal, between 2 or more businesses, governments, or entities.
Term
Governs contract and property rights between private citizens
Definition
Civil Law
Term
provides an avenue of relief against coporate abuses
Definition
Civil Law
Term
Statutes and constitutional laws are subject to change through what means?
Definition
Legislative action and popular consent of the electorate.
Term
How many levels of Texas courts
Definition
5
Term
These courts do not hear new evidence.
Definition
Appellate Courts
Term
These courts are empowered to reverse the judgments of lower courts and to order case to be retried if mistakes were made.
Definition
Appellate Courts
Term
A judicial system which as two courts at the highest level to handle appeals from two seperate areas of law is called a-
Definition
Bifurcated court system
Term
Vacancies on the district and appellate benches are filled by-
Definition
The governor
Term
Vacancies on the Justice of the Peace or County court are filled by-
Definition
County commissioners
Term
How long is the term of a federal judge in TX
Definition
LifeTerm
Term
A court of limited jurisdiction that hears cases involving city ordinances and primarily handles traffic tickets is the-
Definition
Municipal Court
Term
Municipal and justice of the peace courts are courts of ___ jurisdiction
Definition
Limited
Term
Many of these courts are accused of serving as revenue raisers for local governments
Definition
Limited jurisdiction courts
Term
The second level of courts in tX, offering 14 courts and 80 justices
Definition
Courts of Appeal
Term
Each of Texas' highest appellate courts have ___ justices
Definition
9
Term
Drunken driving cases are usually heard first by a ___ court
Definition
Statutory
Term
The primary trial court in Texas
Definition
The District Court
Term
By 2003, almost ___ of the judges at the ditrict court level and higher were Republicans
Definition
2/3 or 66%
Term
A nine member court with final appellate jurisdiction over civil cases is the Texas-
Definition
Supreme Court
Term
A nine member court with final appellate jurisdiciton over criminal cases is the Texas-
Definition
Court of Criminal Appeals
Term
There are ___ persons who sit on a grand jury, selected by a district judge from a list proposed by a jury commission
Definition
12
Term
The ___ is appointed by the local district judge or judges to compose a list of potential grand jury members.
Definition
Jury Commission
Term
At least ___ members of the grand jury have to agree before an indictment can be issued
Definition
9
Term
Another word/phrase for indictment is-
Definition
"True Bill"
Term
A document formally charging an individual with a misdemeanor based on a complaint filed by a private citizen is an-
Definition
information
Term
A person called to serve on a jury who refuses can be-
Definition
fined for contempt of court
Term
Memebers of a panel from which a petit jury is chosen are known as
Definition
Venireman
Term
___ jurors have to vote that a person is guilty in order to convict him or her of a crime.
Definition
Unanimous vote
Term
If a person who is accused of a crime other than capital murder chooses, they can ___ jury trials.
Definition
waive their right to
Term
Petitions for review are usually filed by-
Definition
losing parties
Term
a court order directing a lower court or another public official to take a certain action
Definition
Write of Mandamus
Term
These cases are automatically appeals to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Definition
Death Penalty
Term
The Texas Judicial Affairs Committee accused Justices C.L. Ray and William Kilgarlin of-
Definition
improper contact with attorneys practicing before court
Term
CBS-TV's 60 minutes in 1987 and 1998 concluded that-
Definition
the partison system of electing judges had remained unchanged. Justice may still be for sale in TX.
Term
After 1988, the Texas Supreme court tended to favor-
Definition
business defendents over plaintiffs.
Term
In a 1999 study released by Texas Watch, ___ were determined to be the big winners before the Texas Supreme court during the previous 4 years.
Definition
doctors, hopitals, and other business litigations
Term
the 1st Hispanic was seated on the Texas Supreme Court in __ (yr)
Definition
1984- Raul Gonzalez
Term
the 1st hispanic to be seated on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was in in __(yr)
Definition
1991
Term
1st woman to serve as a state district judge in TX was appointed to the bench in-
Definition
1935- Sarah T. Hughes
Term
Elections in which judges run on their own records rather than against candidates are called-
Definition
retention elections
Term
Refers to partisan politics linked to political favoritism
Definition
Ward Politics
Term
Due process is intended to protect an idividual from
Definition
governmental abuse
Term
Defendants may plead guilty, not guilty, or__
Definition
nolo contendre
Term
If a jury cannot return a unanimous verdict in a criminal case, the judge must declare-
Definition
A mistrial
Term
In 1972, the US Supreme court halted exectutions in all the states and held that capital punishment violated the constitutional prohibition against-
Definition
crual and unusual punishment
Term
there were ___ individuals executed in Texas from 1924 to 1964, when executions were suspended because of legal challenges
Definition
361
Term
The first execution under Texas' current 1973 law was in
Definition
1982
Term
By 2008, more than ___ men and women had been executed in Texas by lethal injection.
Definition
302
Term
1st degree felonies are punishable by
Definition
prison sentence of 5-99 years or life
Term
2nd degree felonies are punishable by
Definition
a prision sentence of 2-20 years
Term
most minor crimes are classified as Class A, B, or C-
Definition
misdemeanors
Term
The early release of an inmate from prison, subject to certain conditions, is called-
Definition
Parole
Term
Which US Supreme Court cases resulted in Texas building more prisions?
Definition
1980 Ruiz v. Estelle
Term
Racial and class biases at the trial level cause the Texas Supreme Court to ___ 42% of the cases appealed to it during the 1st quarter of the 20th century.
Definition
Revise
Term
by 1966, the Texas Supreme courts reversal rate had dropped to-
Definition
3%
Term
Rick Perry has issued___ for serveral men after DNA evidence proved they were wrongly convicted
Definition
pardon
Term
the 1994 election brought the 1st __ majority to the Texas Supreme Court since Reconstruction
Definition
Republican
Term
The TX school finance case in 1989 that led to major changes in financing between poor and rich schools
Definition
Edgewood
Term
TX supreme court rule against this in 1996. The group had sued the republican party for not allowing the to set up a booth at the republican state convention in San Antonio
Definition
Log Cabin Republicans
Term
Hispanics make up this percent of TX population
Definition
53.7%
Term
There are ___ regional courts of Appeals with ___ judges
Definition
14,3
Term
Lubbock is located in the ___ Texas Court of Appeals
Definition
7th
Term
Houston is located in the ___ Texas Court of Appeals
Definition
1st & 14th
Term
Moralistic
Definition
1600s, puritan, early colonies, job to vote, govt is a tool. Still effective but highly diluted- New England States
Term
Individualistic
Definition
Westward Expansion, self reliant, community
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