structure
What is the judicial branch?
This is the branch of government that interprets the laws.
What is nine?
The number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.
This document is the “supreme law of the land,” which judges must follow.
What is the U.S. Constitution?
What is Marbury v. Madison?
In this 1803 case, the Supreme Court claimed the power of judicial review.
What is a jury?
The group of citizens that decides guilt or liability in many trials.
What is the Supreme Court?
The highest court in the United States.
Who is the Chief Justice?
This person is the head of the Supreme Court.
What is the rule of law?
The idea that no one, not even government officials, is above the law.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
This 1954 case ended racial segregation in public schools.
What is protection against double jeopardy?
This right guarantees a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime.
What are federal courts and state courts?
These are the two main types of courts in the U.S. system.
What is life (during good behavior) or a lifetime appointment?
The length of a Supreme Court justice’s term.
What is an appellate system?
This type of court system, where higher courts can review lower court decisions.
What is Gideon v. Wainwright?
This case ruled that people who can’t afford a lawyer in criminal cases must be given one.
What is a public trial?
The kind of trial the Constitution guarantees to be open and not secret.
What are U.S. District Courts?
This lower level of federal court is where most federal trials begin.
What is judicial review?
The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.
What is a criminal case?
The type of case where a person is accused of breaking a law.
What is Miranda v. Arizona?
In this 1966 case, the Court said police must inform suspects of their rights, like the right to remain silent.
What is a writ of certiorari (or “cert” petition)?
Before a case reaches the Supreme Court, a party usually asks for this, a formal request for the Court to hear the case.
What are U.S. Courts of Appeals (or Circuit Courts)?
The intermediate federal court hears appeals from U.S. District Courts.
What is the Senate (or the legislative branch)?
The branch of government that must confirm (approve) Supreme Court nominees.
What is a civil case?
The type of case that usually involves a dispute between people or organizations, often about rights or money.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
This 1819 case strengthened federal power by upholding the constitutionality of a national bank.
What is due process?
The constitutional protection that the government must follow fair procedures before taking away life, liberty, or property.