Judicial Branch Vocab

This court is where the government prosecutes people who break the criminal law

• Supreme Court

• civil trial court

• criminal trial court

• Judge Judy's court

This person bring a lawsuit against another person in civil trial court.

• prosecutor

• defendant

• jury

• plaintiff

This court hears cases between people who want money to compensate them for harm

• Supreme Court

• civil trial court

• criminal trial court

• kangaroo court

This is an agreement in a criminal case where a defendant pleads guilty to a crime and no trial is held.

• compromise

• prosecutorial deal

• nullification

• plea bargain

This is the formal charge when a grand jury agrees there is enough evidence to bring charges.

• grand jury order

• indictment

• ticket

• summons and complaint

This is a legal idea the lower court judges have to follow appeals court decisions when deciding similar cases.

• legal analysis

• overrule

• sustain

• precedent

This person is a lawyer and represents the government in a criminal case.

• prosecutor

• plaintiff

• jury

• defendant

A ______ opinion (decision) is written by judges who agree with the majority opinion but for a different reasons than the majority opinion states.

• majority

• minority

• concurring

• dissenting

Citizens who are part of a trial that hear evidence and give a verdict

• prosecutor

• plaintiff

• jury

• defendant

This is a mistake by a judge in applying the law in a case.

• judicial activism

• error of law

• judicial restraint

• appeal