The Myth of the Nonpolitical Judiciary
The government officials who preside over a courtroom and rule on the application of the laws
Judges
Who is the attorney general in Texas?
An independently elected executive and the state’s chief lawyer
True or False: The Texas Supreme Court hears appeals for both civil and criminal cases.
False (The Texas Supreme Court only hears civil and juvenile cases, while the Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal cases.)
This percentage represents the increase in Texas' crime rate from 1982 to 1992?
12 percent
Fill in the blank: Trial court judges serve for ___ years before having to face the voters again, and appellate judges enjoy a ____-year term
Four, Six.
What belief do Americans hold about laws solving social problems?
They believe passing a law solves the issue and often forget about it
What informal power does the attorney general have?
The authority to issue advisory opinions on legal matters
Fill in the Blank: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state’s final appeals court in _________ matters.
criminal
In 2017, this number of crimes were committed in Texas?
842,055
What is one of the four methods used to select judges for the courts of final appeals?
Why is the idea of judges being apolitical a myth?
They interpret laws, making decisions that impact political interests
How did the U.S. Supreme Court impact this ruling in 2003?
It allowed race to be a factor in holistic admissions processes
Fill in the Blank: In 2019, the Texas Supreme Court issued _______ opinions.
109
In 2018, Texas held this many prison inmates, more than any other state?
140,086
What is the difference between Republican Judges and Democrat Judges?
Republican Judges favor business and people with power and wealth, while Democrat Judges favor labor unions, the poor, and social underdogs in general.
What Texas Supreme Court case in 2000 showed ideological divides?
A parental notification abortion case
What limits the attorney general’s authority?
Judicial review by the courts
True or False: The Texas Supreme Court has the authority to approve new law schools in the state.
True
This practice, which involves a defendant pleading guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a lesser penalty, accounts for more than 90% of criminal convictions in Texas?
plea bargain
The Harris County elections had one other obvious change, what was it?
The election of 19 new African American women judges.
How did dissenting justices react?
They accused the majority of ignoring legislative intent
What was the Hopwood case about?
It challenged affirmative action at the University of Texas Law School
True or False: The judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals are elected for four-year terms.
False (They are elected for six-year staggered terms.)
Despite a lower crime rate in the past decade, Texas' judicial system still faces this major challenge?
overwhelming caseload
_____ limited individual contributions to statewide judicial candidates to $5,000 each election and prohibited law firms from contributing more than $30,000 to individual Supreme Court candidates.
The Judicial Campaign Fairness Act (JCFA).