Ch. 20: Overview of the Court System Flashcards
(29 cards)
Which California courts hear all issues involving state law, including criminal, civil, traffic, probate, family, divorce, juvenile, and mental health commitments?
a) Municipal Courts
b) Superior Courts
c) Administrative Courts
d) Courts of Appeal
b) Superior Courts
What was Proposition 220, passed in 2002, responsible for?
a) Establishing new municipal courts.
b) Transferring ownership of Superior Courts to county ownership.
c) The Superior Courts absorbing the workload of the municipal courts.
d) Creating the California Courts of Appeal.
c) The Superior Courts absorbing the workload of the municipal courts.
By what year was the fusion process of municipal and superior courts completed, and ownership of Superior Courts transferred to State ownership?
a) 1998
b) 2002
c) 2009
d) 2010
c) 2009
Which of the following is NOT typically heard by Superior Courts?
a) Criminal cases
b) Civil cases
c) Federal law violations
d) Family law cases
c) Federal law violations
What type of “courts” encompass agencies such as the DMV and the Department of Workers Compensation?
a) Superior Courts
b) Federal Courts
c) Administrative Courts
d) Appellate Courts
c) Administrative Courts
According to the text, what is the general rule regarding court case files?
a) They are confidential and not subject to public inspection.
b) They are presumed open to the public unless confidential or sealed by law.
c) They are only accessible to legal professionals.
d) They can only be accessed with a court order.
b) They are presumed open to the public unless confidential or sealed by law.
Which court hears appeals from administrative courts, with the exception of workers’ compensation board appeals?
a) California Supreme Court
b) U.S. District Courts
c) Superior Court
d) U.S. Court of International Trade
c) Superior Court
Where are workers’ compensation board appeals heard?
a) Superior Court
b) California Courts of Appeal
c) Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board
d) California Supreme Court
b) California Courts of Appeal
What is the next level of appeal after the Superior Court for cases involving questions of its decisions?
a) U.S. Supreme Court
b) U.S. District Courts
c) California Supreme Court
d) California Courts of Appeal
d) California Courts of Appeal
What is the final appellate court in the California judicial system?
a) Superior Court
b) U.S. Supreme Court
c) California Supreme Court
d) Courts of Appeal
c) California Supreme Court
How many petitions for a writ of certiorari does the US Supreme Court receive annually, and approximately how many do they hear?
a) 1,000 petitions, hear 100-150
b) 5,000 petitions, hear 50-60
c) 10,000 petitions, hear 75-80
d) The document does not specify these numbers.
c) 10,000 petitions, hear 75-80
What is the default standard of proof unless a law requires a different standard?
a) Proof beyond a reasonable doubt
b) Proof by clear and convincing evidence
c) Proof by a preponderance of the evidence
d) The document does not state a default.
c) Proof by a preponderance of the evidence
Which standard of proof merely requires that the existence of a fact be more likely than not?
a) Proof beyond a reasonable doubt
b) Proof by clear and convincing evidence
c) Proof by a preponderance of the evidence
d) The document does not define this standard.
c) Proof by a preponderance of the evidence
In which type of cases is the “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” standard exclusively used?
a) Most civil cases
b) Property ownership cases
c) Custody of a minor child by a non-parent cases
d) Criminal cases
d) Criminal cases
Who decides whether to file charges and the specific charges against a defendant in a criminal court process?
a) The police
b) The victim
c) The prosecutor
d) The grand jury
c) The prosecutor
What is the typical timeframe within which a prosecutor must file charges if the defendant is in custody?
a) 24 business hours
b) 48 business hours
c) 72 business hours
d) 5 business days
b) 48 business hours
What is a legal document charging the defendant with a crime, issued by a grand jury?
a) Information
b) Complaint
c) Indictment
d) Summons
c) Indictment
What is the defendant’s first court appearance called?
a) Preliminary Hearing
b) Pretrial Conference
c) Arraignment
d) Trial
c) Arraignment
In misdemeanor cases, what is the process called where the prosecution and defense exchange information they know about the case?
a) Voir Dire
b) Preliminary Hearing
c) Discovery
d) Arraignment
c) Discovery
What is a legal document charging the defendant with a crime, filed by prosecutors (as opposed to a grand jury)?
a) Indictment
b) Complaint
c) Information
d) Summons
c) Information
What is the jury selection process known as, where lawyers question jurors on their backgrounds?
a) Discovery
b) Preliminary Hearing
c) Voir Dire
d) Arraignment
c) Voir Dire
In a misdemeanor case, if the defendant is in custody, within how many days of arraignment or plea must a trial start?
a) 10 days
b) 30 days
c) 45 days
d) 60 days
b) 30 days
In a misdemeanor case, if the defendant is NOT in custody, within how many days of arraignment or plea must a trial start?
a) 10 days
b) 30 days
c) 45 days
d) 60 days
c) 45 days
What is the maximum number of days after a trial date is set that a trial must start, even if the defendant waives their right to a speedy trial?
a) 10 days
b) 30 days
c) 45 days
d) 60 days
a) 10 days
