Judicial Vocabulary
Terms
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Reasonable ground, a good basis for the belief that something is true, a crime has been committed
- Probable Cause
- Guarantee that government will not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property by any unfair, arbitrary or unreasonable action.
- Due Process Clause
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Policy that requires most employers to take positive steps to remedy the effects of past discriminations
- Affirmation Action
- Refers to positive acts of government that seek to make constitutional guarantees a reality for all
- Civil Rights
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Power of a state to act to protect and promote the public health, safety, morals and welfare
- Police Power
- The party who brings a suit or legal action against another
- Plaintiff
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Money the accused may be required to post as a guarantee they will appear in court at the proper time
- Bail
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Guarantees of the safety of persons, opinions and property form the arbitrary acts of government.
- Civil Liberties
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One who leaves his or her home seeking safety from war or other dangers
- Refugee
- Satisfaction of a claim brought in court
- Redress
- Spying for a foreign power
- Espionage
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Written statement by one or more judges who disagree with a court decision
- Dissenting Opinion
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Formal charge of crime brought against a person by the prosecutor directly
- Information
- Written statement by a majority of judges supporting an opinion.
- Majority Opinion
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Legislative act that inflicts punishment upon a person or group without a trial.
- Bill of Atainder
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Powers shared by federal and state courts to hear certain cases.
- Concurrent Jurisdiction
- A trial held without a jury, the judge acts also as the jury
- Bench Trial
- Power to hear a case first, before any other court.
- Original Jurisdiction
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Formal accusation of crime brought by a grand jury of its own motion
- Presentment
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The person against whom a court action is brought by a plaintiff.
- Defendant
- Crime of disloyalty
- Treason
- One who is not a citizen of the state in which he/she lives
- Aliens
- Isolation and separation of one group from another
- Segregation
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Part of the 1st amendment that guarantees to each person the right to believe whatever you choose in matters of religion
- Free Exercise Clause
- Patrolling of a business site by workers on strike
- Picketing
- Power of a court to try and decide a case
- Jurisdiction
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Public land set aside by the government for use by Native Americans.
- Reservations
- A method of putting a case before the Supreme Court
- Certificate
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A listing of constitutional rights that suspects must be advised of before police questioning.
- Miranda Rule
- Authority of a court to review decisions of a lower court.
- Appellate Jurisdiction
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Accusation by a grand jury, formal finding there is enough evidence to warrant a trial
- Indictment
- Power of the federal courts alone to hear a case
- Exclusive Jurisdiction
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Spoken, written or other action promoting resistance to lawful authority, especially advocating the overthrow of the government
- Sedition
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Order by a higher court to a lower court to send up records for review.
- Writ of Certiorari
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Criminal law applied retroactively to the disadvantage of the accused
- Ex Post Facto Law
- Written statement of one or more judges who support a decision but disagree with the grounds for that decision.
- Concurring Opinion
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Trial a second time for a crime of which the accused was acquitted the first time
- Double Jeopardy
- First 10 amendments of the constitution
- Bill of Rights
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Body of 12 to 23 people convened by a court to decide whether or not there is enough evidence o bring a person to trial
- Grand Jury
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Part of the 1st amendment prohibiting either the establishment of a religion or sanctioning of an existing religion by the government
- Establishment Clause
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Rules which require a certain number of jobs or promotions to go to certain groups.
- Quotas
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Law found in some states that protect reporters from being forced to disclose confidential information from sources.
- Shield Law
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Expression of beliefs, ideas by conduct rather than in speech or print.
- Symbolic Speech
- The law of the blood. Citizenship by birth
- Jus Sanguinis
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Court order that a prisoner be brought before the court and that the detaining officer show cause why the prisoner should not be released
- Writ of Certiorari
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Evidence gained by illegal or unreasonable means cannot be used at the court trial
- Exclusionary Clause