Judicial Branch Vocabulary

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affirmation

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a formal declaration of truth

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appeal

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a request, made after a trial, asking a higher court to decide whether that trial was conducted properly

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appellate court

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any court that has the power to hear appeals from lower courts

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Article III

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the article of the U.S. Constitution that outlines the structures, functions, and processes of the judicial branch of government

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case

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a matter that goes before a judge or court of law

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case law

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law that is based on judicial decisions rather than constitutions, statutes, or regulations

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Chief Justice

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the head justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; also known as the “first among equals”

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circuit court

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a court for a defined region of a state (usually including several counties) that has specific divisions and hears cases involving more serious crimes (felonies) and civil cases involving large amounts of money (more than $1000)

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civil law

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law concerned with private relations between members of a community rather than criminal, military, or religious affairs; contrasted with criminal law

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county court

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a court that hears both civil and criminal cases involving less serious crimes or minor issues for one specific county