Court Clerk Exam Glossary Practice Questions with
Correct Answers Graded A+
Acquittal - Answer The legal and formal certification of the innocence of a person charged with a crime;
a finding of not guilty
Act - Answer An alternative name for statutory law. When introduced into the Legislature, a piece of
proposed legislation is known as a bill. When passed by the first house and sent to the other, it may be
referred to as an act. After enactment, the terms law and act may be used interchangeably
Adjudication - Answer The determination and formal pronouncement of the judgment
Adjudicative Proceeding - Answer A proceeding where a person is entitled to due process of law, that is,
the person is entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard.
Administrative Records - Answer Records that are created to help the court accomplish its current
administrative functions.
Advance Sheets - Answer Current publications that contain the most recently reported opinions of the
courts. These copies of court decisions are sent in advance of the bound volumes.
Adversarial System - Answer In common law countries such as the United States, this is a system in
which opposing sides each represent their own interest before an impartial judge. In a criminal case, the
two opposing sides are the prosecution and the defense.
Affidavit - Answer A sworn statement
Affinity - Answer The relation that one's spouse has to the other spouse's blood relatives because of
their marriage.
Affirm - Answer On an appeal from a court of record, the manner in which the appeals court decides
that the trial court is correct
, Agreed Judgment - Answer In a civil case, a judgment entered on the agreement of the parties, which
receives the sanction of the court
Allocation - Answer The process of distributing in equal or proportionate parts
Alphabetic Filing - Answer A filing arrangement of names, subjects, or geographic locations in
alphabetical order.
Alphanumeric Filing - Answer Arrangement of files using a combination of alphabetic and numeric
characters.
Annotations - Answer 1) Statutory: brief summaries of the law and facts of cases interpreting
statutes passed by Congress or state legislatures which are included in codes; 2)
Textual: expository essays of varying length on significant legal topics chosen from
selected cases published in essays.
Answer - Answer A pleading filed in response to a motion or complaint. In civil cases such as a
bond forfeiture, a formal pleading filed by the defendant in response to the plaintiff's
complaint.
Appeal Bond - Answer The bond presented to the court by a defendant who desires to appeal
the case to a higher court. The bond may be surety cash or the court may allow a
personal bond.
Appeal - Answer The process of having a higher court conduct a new trial or review the facts
and law or just questions of law from a proceeding held in a lower court. In municipal
court of record, the appellate court reviews the transcript of the trial. In municipal
courts of non-record there is a new trial in the appellate court. An appeal is perfected
when the appeal bond has been filed with the court. All defendants have the right to
Correct Answers Graded A+
Acquittal - Answer The legal and formal certification of the innocence of a person charged with a crime;
a finding of not guilty
Act - Answer An alternative name for statutory law. When introduced into the Legislature, a piece of
proposed legislation is known as a bill. When passed by the first house and sent to the other, it may be
referred to as an act. After enactment, the terms law and act may be used interchangeably
Adjudication - Answer The determination and formal pronouncement of the judgment
Adjudicative Proceeding - Answer A proceeding where a person is entitled to due process of law, that is,
the person is entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard.
Administrative Records - Answer Records that are created to help the court accomplish its current
administrative functions.
Advance Sheets - Answer Current publications that contain the most recently reported opinions of the
courts. These copies of court decisions are sent in advance of the bound volumes.
Adversarial System - Answer In common law countries such as the United States, this is a system in
which opposing sides each represent their own interest before an impartial judge. In a criminal case, the
two opposing sides are the prosecution and the defense.
Affidavit - Answer A sworn statement
Affinity - Answer The relation that one's spouse has to the other spouse's blood relatives because of
their marriage.
Affirm - Answer On an appeal from a court of record, the manner in which the appeals court decides
that the trial court is correct
, Agreed Judgment - Answer In a civil case, a judgment entered on the agreement of the parties, which
receives the sanction of the court
Allocation - Answer The process of distributing in equal or proportionate parts
Alphabetic Filing - Answer A filing arrangement of names, subjects, or geographic locations in
alphabetical order.
Alphanumeric Filing - Answer Arrangement of files using a combination of alphabetic and numeric
characters.
Annotations - Answer 1) Statutory: brief summaries of the law and facts of cases interpreting
statutes passed by Congress or state legislatures which are included in codes; 2)
Textual: expository essays of varying length on significant legal topics chosen from
selected cases published in essays.
Answer - Answer A pleading filed in response to a motion or complaint. In civil cases such as a
bond forfeiture, a formal pleading filed by the defendant in response to the plaintiff's
complaint.
Appeal Bond - Answer The bond presented to the court by a defendant who desires to appeal
the case to a higher court. The bond may be surety cash or the court may allow a
personal bond.
Appeal - Answer The process of having a higher court conduct a new trial or review the facts
and law or just questions of law from a proceeding held in a lower court. In municipal
court of record, the appellate court reviews the transcript of the trial. In municipal
courts of non-record there is a new trial in the appellate court. An appeal is perfected
when the appeal bond has been filed with the court. All defendants have the right to
