INTRODUCTION TO LAW AND THE LEGAL
SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
TEST VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND
ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Criminal Law
Answer: the branch of law dealing with crimes and their punishment
●● felony
Answer: A serious criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence of
more than one year
●● misdemeanor
Answer: a criminal offense, less serious than a felony, punishable by a
prison sentence of one year or less
●● Civil Law
Answer: all law that does not involve criminal matter, such as tort and
contract law. This term usually deals with private rights of individuals,
groups, or businesses.
●● Civil action
,Answer: a noncriminal lawsuit, brought to enforce a right or redress a
wrong
●● defendant
Answer: the person against whom a claim is made. In a civil suit, the
defendant is the person being sued; in a criminal case, the defendant is
the person charged with committing a crime
●● plaintiff
Answer: in a civil case, the injured party who brings legal action against
the alleged wrongdoer
●● prosecutor
Answer: the state or federal government's attorney in a criminal case
●● beyond a reasonable doubt
Answer: The level of proof required to convict a person of a crime. It
does not mean "convinced 100 percent," but does mean there are no
reasonable doubts as to guilt.
●● preponderance of the evidence
Answer: Usually the standard of proof used in a civil suit; the burden of
proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit. To win, a party
, must provide evidence that is more convincing than the other side's
evidence.
●● limited government
Answer: a basic principle of our constitutional system. It limits
government to powers provided to it by the people
●● separation of powers
Answer: the division of power among the branches of government
(executive, legislative, and judicial)
●● statues
Answer: written laws enacted by legislatures
●● checks and balances
Answer: the power of each of the three branches of government
(legislative, judicial, executive) to limit the other branches' power, so as
to prevent an abuse
●● veto
Answer: prohibit; in government, this is the power of a chief executive
to prevent enactment of a bill (i.e. to prevent the bill from becoming a
law)
SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
TEST VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND
ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Criminal Law
Answer: the branch of law dealing with crimes and their punishment
●● felony
Answer: A serious criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence of
more than one year
●● misdemeanor
Answer: a criminal offense, less serious than a felony, punishable by a
prison sentence of one year or less
●● Civil Law
Answer: all law that does not involve criminal matter, such as tort and
contract law. This term usually deals with private rights of individuals,
groups, or businesses.
●● Civil action
,Answer: a noncriminal lawsuit, brought to enforce a right or redress a
wrong
●● defendant
Answer: the person against whom a claim is made. In a civil suit, the
defendant is the person being sued; in a criminal case, the defendant is
the person charged with committing a crime
●● plaintiff
Answer: in a civil case, the injured party who brings legal action against
the alleged wrongdoer
●● prosecutor
Answer: the state or federal government's attorney in a criminal case
●● beyond a reasonable doubt
Answer: The level of proof required to convict a person of a crime. It
does not mean "convinced 100 percent," but does mean there are no
reasonable doubts as to guilt.
●● preponderance of the evidence
Answer: Usually the standard of proof used in a civil suit; the burden of
proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit. To win, a party
, must provide evidence that is more convincing than the other side's
evidence.
●● limited government
Answer: a basic principle of our constitutional system. It limits
government to powers provided to it by the people
●● separation of powers
Answer: the division of power among the branches of government
(executive, legislative, and judicial)
●● statues
Answer: written laws enacted by legislatures
●● checks and balances
Answer: the power of each of the three branches of government
(legislative, judicial, executive) to limit the other branches' power, so as
to prevent an abuse
●● veto
Answer: prohibit; in government, this is the power of a chief executive
to prevent enactment of a bill (i.e. to prevent the bill from becoming a
law)
