The Judicial Branch Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• original jurisdiction : the jurisdiction of the courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial. these are the courts that determine the facts about a case.
• appellate jurisdiction : the jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on appeal from lower courts. these courts do not review the factual record, only the legal issues involved.
• district courts : the 94 federal courts of original jurisdiction. they are the only federal courts in which trials are held and in which juries may be impaneled.
• courts of appeal : appellate courts empowered to review all final decisions of district courts except in rare cases.
• supreme court : the “highest court in the land” ensuring uniformity in interpreting national laws resolving conflicts among states and maintaining national supremacy in law. it has both original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction.
• precedent : how similar cases have been decided in the past.
• rule of four : minimum number of justices that must be in agreement to grant the writ of certiorari.
• stare decisis : from latin for “let the decision stand” this doctrine holds that judicial precedent has the force of law.
• standing : the requirement that plaintiffs have a serious interest in a case; depending on whether they have sustained a direct injury.
• petitioner : the party that makes the formal action to a court for a writ of certiorari.
• good behavior : the clause ensures that federal judges hold their seats for life, rather than set terms or at the will of a superior.
• opinion : a statement of legal reasoning behind a judicial decision; the content of which may be as important as the decision itself.