Chapter 5. The Court System in Texas UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Higher-level courts that decide on points of law and not
Appellate Courts
questions of guilt or innocence
In Texas, the system of many judges gaining the initial seat
Appointive-Elective System on the court by being appointed and later standing for
election
Juries of citizens that determine if a person will be charged
Grand Juries
with a crime
A hearing before a judge who decides if a person must
Information or an administrative hearing
stand trial; used in place of a grand jury
Preliminary hearings for persons charged with a serious
Magistrate functions
criminal offenses
A system of electing judges that involves appointment by
Merit system, or Missouri system
the governor and periodic retention election
Practice of voting for candidates with familiar or popular
Name familiarity
names; a significant issue in Texas judicial elections
Election in which party identification is not formally de-
Nonpartisan election
clared
The appearance that courts make objective decisions and
Objectivity
not political ones
Method used to select all judges (except municipal court
Nonpartisan judges) in Texas by using a ballot in which party identifi-
cation is shown
Juries of citizens that determine the guilt or innocence of
Petit juries
a person during a trial; pronounced petty juries
Court decisions depending on previous rulings of other
Stare decisis
courts
System that allows voters to vote for all candidates of a
, single political party by making a
single mark and that
2/6
CORRECT Answers
Higher-level courts that decide on points of law and not
Appellate Courts
questions of guilt or innocence
In Texas, the system of many judges gaining the initial seat
Appointive-Elective System on the court by being appointed and later standing for
election
Juries of citizens that determine if a person will be charged
Grand Juries
with a crime
A hearing before a judge who decides if a person must
Information or an administrative hearing
stand trial; used in place of a grand jury
Preliminary hearings for persons charged with a serious
Magistrate functions
criminal offenses
A system of electing judges that involves appointment by
Merit system, or Missouri system
the governor and periodic retention election
Practice of voting for candidates with familiar or popular
Name familiarity
names; a significant issue in Texas judicial elections
Election in which party identification is not formally de-
Nonpartisan election
clared
The appearance that courts make objective decisions and
Objectivity
not political ones
Method used to select all judges (except municipal court
Nonpartisan judges) in Texas by using a ballot in which party identifi-
cation is shown
Juries of citizens that determine the guilt or innocence of
Petit juries
a person during a trial; pronounced petty juries
Court decisions depending on previous rulings of other
Stare decisis
courts
System that allows voters to vote for all candidates of a
, single political party by making a
single mark and that
2/6
