Unit 1 Flashcards
Statutes
Passage of laws (written)
Jurisprudence
Study of law and legal philosophy
Supremacy Clause
Constitution is supreme law of the land (ladder)
Bills
Introduced legislation, enact new laws or repeal old ones, passed by legislature and not vetoed=law
Legislative intent
What the legislature meant when they made the law
Public hearings
Hearings held by agencies so individuals or businesses can have an opportunity to express their views on the proposals
Trials
Much of what is conducted in a courtroom
Precedent
Example of similar cases
Criminal laws
Regulate public conduct and set out duties owed to society
Felonies
Penalty is more than 1 year in prison, more serious crimes such as murder or robbery
Misdemeanors
Penalty is 1 year or less, less serious such as assault or minor theft
Civil laws
Regulate relations between individuals or groups of individuals
Defendant
Person accused of committing a crime, or of wrongdoing
Plaintiff
Person or company harmed in a civil case
Prosecutor
Attorney in a criminal case bringing the charge
Beyond reasonable doubt
Defendant cannot be convicted if they have any reasonable doubts that person is guilty
Preponderance of the evidence
Lower requirement for proof than beyond a reasonable doubt, used in civil cases
Limited government
Authority to pass laws only in areas specifically listed
Statutes
Another word for laws
Checks and balances
Prevents one branch from becoming too powerful and abusing its power
Veto
Refusal to approve
Judicial review
Enables the courts to interpret the law and say if it is unconstitutional
Unconstitutional
Violates the constitution
Conflicts of interest
Attorney general who is in the high ranking government, shouldn’t be allowed to investigate those in the high rankings of government