The Court System in TX Flashcards
stare decisis
court decisions depending on previous rulings of the other courts.
objectivity
the appearance that courts make objective decisions and not political ones.
trial courts
local courts that hear cases; juries determine the outcome of the cases heard in the courts.
appellate courts
higher-level courts that decide on points of law and not questions of guilt or innocence.
magistrate functions
preliminary hearings for persons charged with serious criminal offense.
trial de novo courts
courts that do not keep a written record of their proceedings; cases on appeal begin as new cases in the appellate courts.
merit system, or Missouri system
system of electing judges that involves appointment by the governor and periodic retention election.
partisan election
Method used to select all judges (except municipal court judges) in Texas by using a ballot in which party identification is shown.
nonpartisan election
Election in which party identification is not formally declared.
name familiarity
practice in texas of voting for judges with familiar or popular names
straight ticket voting system
system that allows voters to vote for all candidates of a single political party by making a single mark and that has resulted in a increase in the number of republican judges.
Appointive elective system
In Texas, the system of many judges getting the initial seat on the court by being appointed and later standing for election.
grand juries
juries of citizens that determine if a person will be charged with a crime.
Information or administrative hearing
a hearing before a judge that decides if a person must strand trial. Used in place of a grand jury.
petit juries
juries of citizens that determine the guilt or innocence of a person during a trial; pronounced petty juries.
