Pols 301- Exam 2 questions well
answered to pass
Activist Judge - correct answer ✔✔A judge who is said to act as an independent policymaker by
creatively interpreting a constitution or statute
Criminal cases - correct answer ✔✔Legal cases brought by the state intending to punish violations of the
law.
Civil cases - correct answer ✔✔Legal cases that involve disputes between private parties
Trial court - correct answer ✔✔The first level of the court system
Settlement - correct answer ✔✔a mutual agreement between parties to end a civil case before going to
trial
Plea bargain - correct answer ✔✔An agreement in which the accused in a criminal case admits guilt,
usually in exchange for a promise that a particular sentence will be imposed.
Appeal - correct answer ✔✔A request to have a lower court's decision in a case reviewed by a higher
court.
Intermediate appellate court - correct answer ✔✔A court that reviews court cases to find possible errors
in their proceedings
State supreme court - correct answer ✔✔The highest level of appeals court in a state.
Precedent - correct answer ✔✔In law, the use of the past to determine current interpretation and
decision making.
,Court of first instance - correct answer ✔✔The court in which a case is introduced and nothing has been
determined yet.
Bench trial - correct answer ✔✔A trial in which no jury is present and the judge decides the facts as well
as the law.
General jurisdiction trial courts - correct answer ✔✔Courts that hear any civil or criminal cases that have
not been assigned to a special court
Limited or special jurisdiction courts - correct answer ✔✔Courts that hear cases that are statutorily
limited by either the degree of seriousness or the types of parties involved
Prejudicial error - correct answer ✔✔an error that affects the outcome of a case
Discretionary jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔the power of a court to decide whether or not to grant
review of a case
Mandatory jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔The requirement that a court hear every case presented
before it
En banc - correct answer ✔✔Appeals court sessions in which all the judges hear a case together.
Panels - correct answer ✔✔Groups of (usually) three judges who sit to hear cases in a state court of
appeals
Merit selection - correct answer ✔✔A hybrid of appointment and election that typically involves a
bipartisan judicial nominating commission whose job is to create a list of highly qualified candidates for
the bench from which the governor or legislature appoints judges. After serving a term, these judges are
typically evaluated for retention either by the same commission or through uncontested popular
elections.
, Retention election - correct answer ✔✔An election in which a judge runs uncontested and voters are
asked to vote yes or no on the question of whether they wish to retain the judge in office for another
term.
Pure appointive system - correct answer ✔✔A judicial selection in which the governor appoints judges
alone, without preselection of candidates by a nominating commission
Prosecutor - correct answer ✔✔A government official and lawyer who conducts criminal cases on behalf
of the people.
Public defender - correct answer ✔✔A government lawyer who provides free legal services to persons
accused of crimes who cannot afford to hire lawyers.
Legislative overcriminalization - correct answer ✔✔The tendency of government to make a crime out of
anything the public does not like.
Indictment - correct answer ✔✔A formal criminal charge
Grand jury - correct answer ✔✔A group of between 16 and 23 citizens who decide if a case should go to
trial; if the grand jury decides that it should, an indictment is issued.
Jury nulllification - correct answer ✔✔A jury's returning a verdict of "not guilty" even though jurists
believe the defendant is guilty. By doing so, the jury cancels out the effect of a law that jurors believe is
immoral or was wrongly applied to the defendant.
Felony - correct answer ✔✔A serious crime, such as murder or arson.
Misdemeanor - correct answer ✔✔A less serious crime, such as shoplifting.
Assigned counsel - correct answer ✔✔Private lawyers selected by the courts to handle particular cases
and paid from public funds.
answered to pass
Activist Judge - correct answer ✔✔A judge who is said to act as an independent policymaker by
creatively interpreting a constitution or statute
Criminal cases - correct answer ✔✔Legal cases brought by the state intending to punish violations of the
law.
Civil cases - correct answer ✔✔Legal cases that involve disputes between private parties
Trial court - correct answer ✔✔The first level of the court system
Settlement - correct answer ✔✔a mutual agreement between parties to end a civil case before going to
trial
Plea bargain - correct answer ✔✔An agreement in which the accused in a criminal case admits guilt,
usually in exchange for a promise that a particular sentence will be imposed.
Appeal - correct answer ✔✔A request to have a lower court's decision in a case reviewed by a higher
court.
Intermediate appellate court - correct answer ✔✔A court that reviews court cases to find possible errors
in their proceedings
State supreme court - correct answer ✔✔The highest level of appeals court in a state.
Precedent - correct answer ✔✔In law, the use of the past to determine current interpretation and
decision making.
,Court of first instance - correct answer ✔✔The court in which a case is introduced and nothing has been
determined yet.
Bench trial - correct answer ✔✔A trial in which no jury is present and the judge decides the facts as well
as the law.
General jurisdiction trial courts - correct answer ✔✔Courts that hear any civil or criminal cases that have
not been assigned to a special court
Limited or special jurisdiction courts - correct answer ✔✔Courts that hear cases that are statutorily
limited by either the degree of seriousness or the types of parties involved
Prejudicial error - correct answer ✔✔an error that affects the outcome of a case
Discretionary jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔the power of a court to decide whether or not to grant
review of a case
Mandatory jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔The requirement that a court hear every case presented
before it
En banc - correct answer ✔✔Appeals court sessions in which all the judges hear a case together.
Panels - correct answer ✔✔Groups of (usually) three judges who sit to hear cases in a state court of
appeals
Merit selection - correct answer ✔✔A hybrid of appointment and election that typically involves a
bipartisan judicial nominating commission whose job is to create a list of highly qualified candidates for
the bench from which the governor or legislature appoints judges. After serving a term, these judges are
typically evaluated for retention either by the same commission or through uncontested popular
elections.
, Retention election - correct answer ✔✔An election in which a judge runs uncontested and voters are
asked to vote yes or no on the question of whether they wish to retain the judge in office for another
term.
Pure appointive system - correct answer ✔✔A judicial selection in which the governor appoints judges
alone, without preselection of candidates by a nominating commission
Prosecutor - correct answer ✔✔A government official and lawyer who conducts criminal cases on behalf
of the people.
Public defender - correct answer ✔✔A government lawyer who provides free legal services to persons
accused of crimes who cannot afford to hire lawyers.
Legislative overcriminalization - correct answer ✔✔The tendency of government to make a crime out of
anything the public does not like.
Indictment - correct answer ✔✔A formal criminal charge
Grand jury - correct answer ✔✔A group of between 16 and 23 citizens who decide if a case should go to
trial; if the grand jury decides that it should, an indictment is issued.
Jury nulllification - correct answer ✔✔A jury's returning a verdict of "not guilty" even though jurists
believe the defendant is guilty. By doing so, the jury cancels out the effect of a law that jurors believe is
immoral or was wrongly applied to the defendant.
Felony - correct answer ✔✔A serious crime, such as murder or arson.
Misdemeanor - correct answer ✔✔A less serious crime, such as shoplifting.
Assigned counsel - correct answer ✔✔Private lawyers selected by the courts to handle particular cases
and paid from public funds.
