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The lower federal courts, beneath the Supreme Court

• Inferior Courts

• Stare Decisis

• concurrent jurisdiction

• Plaintiff

"let the decision stand"; let a previous decision hold for the case being considered

• Inferior Courts

• concurrent jurisdiction

• Plaintiff

• Stare Decisis

power shared by federal and state courts to hear certain cases

• concurrent jurisdiction

• Stare Decisis

• Inferior Courts

• Plaintiff

a person who brings a case against another in a court of law.

• Plaintiff

• Defendant

• appellate jurisdiction

• original jurisdiction

the person against whom a court action is brought; the person charged with a crime

• original jurisdiction

• Defendant

• criminal law

• appellate jurisdiction

the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court

• appellate jurisdiction

• Civil Law

• criminal law

• original jurisdiction

The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts

• original jurisdiction

• Civil Law

• appellate jurisdiction

• writ of certiorari

portion of the law that defines public wrongs and provides for their punishment

• criminal law

• Civil Law

• writ of certiorari

• amicus curiae brief

portion of the law relating to human conduct, to disputes between private parties

• writ of certiorari

• amicus curiae brief

• Civil Law

• Majority opinion

"to make more certain"; an order by a higher court to a lower court to send a case up for review

• amicus curiae brief

• writ of certiorari

• concurring opinion

• Majority opinion