Judicial Branch vocab Flashcards
Jurisdiction
a court’s authority to hear and decide a case
Plaintiff
the person making a legal complaint in court
Original Jurisdiction
the authority of a court to be the first court to hold trials in certain kinds of cases
Judicial Restraint
the concept that a judge should interpret the Constitution according to the Framers’ original
intentions
Precedent
An earlier court decision that guides judges’ decisions in later cases
Docket
The list of cases to be heard before a court
Amicus Curiae Brief
This person or group will petition the court for permission to submit a brief in the action intending to influence the court’s decision
Concurring Opinions
Statements by Supreme Court justices who agree with the overall conclusion in the case, but stress some different or additional legal reasoning
Concurrent Jurisdiction
cases that fall under jurisdiction of both state and federal courts
Defendant
the person against whom a complaint is filed
Appellate Jurisdiction
the authority of some courts to review decisions made by lower courts
Judicial Activism
the concept that the Constitution should be interpreted more broadly
Senatorial Courtesy
the tradition that a senator from the same state as a nominee to a federal district court and the same
political party as the president can block a nomination for
virtually any reason
Writ of Certiorari
an order by a higher court seeking review of a lower court case
Majority Opinion
the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that is signed by at least five of the nine members of the Court
