Legal Terms Gov/Econ
Terms
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- Adversary System
- Our judicial system in which opposing sides present their arguents in a case before a trial court
- Admissible
- Evidence that can be legally and properly introduced in trial
- Allegation
- The statement in a pleading of what one side intends to prove
- Bailiff
- A court attendant who keeps order in the court room.
- Brief
- A written statement prepared by one side in a lawsuit to explain its view of the facts of the case and the laws that apply
- Case
- Any proceeding action, lawsuit, started through the court system by filing a document
- Civil action
- a non-criminal case in which a person or business sues another person or business
- Complaint
- The legal document that usually begins a civil lawsuit or criminal case. It states one side's view of the facts of the case
- Defendant
- In a civil case, it is the person who is being sued. In a criminal case, it is the person charged with a crime
- District Court
- A court of limited jurisdiction that hears civil cases onvolving $4,000 or less, juvenile matters, city and county ordinaces, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, probate of wills and domestic violence cases.
- Due Process
- The right to receive a fair and impartial trial
- Evidence
- Any legally presented proof by a witness, records, or documents during the trial
- Felony
- A serious criminal offense punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year
- Judge
- An elected or appointed official with the authority to hear and decide cases in a court of law
- Jury
- People selected as set by law to make a decision or verdict in a trial
- Law
- Rules and principles of conduct supported by the government
- Litigation
- a legal contest in court
- misdemeanor
- a less serious criminal offense punishable by a fine or imprisonment of less than one year
- oath
- a written or oral pledge to keep a promise to speak the truth
- plaintiff
- The person filing a lawsuit in a court against another person or group
- Probable Cause
- a reasonable belief that a crime has been or being committed
- Prosecutor
- A trial lawyer representing the government in a criminal case
- Public Defender
- Government lawyer who provides free legal defense services to a poor person accused of a crime
- Record
- All of the documents, evidence and transcripts or oral proceedings in a case
- Statutes
- Laws passed or enacted by the state legislature
- Subpoena
- A written legal notive requiring a person to appear in court
- Testimony
- Evidence given by a witness under oath
- Trial
- The examination of issues regarding fact and law before the court
- Verdict
- The final formal trial decision made by a jury, read before the court and accepted by the judge
- Witness
- a person testifying under oath in court about their knowledge of the case