Exam 12: Core Concepts of US Court Systems

A court with this jurisdiction is where a case begins.

Unlike grand jury proceedings, preliminary hearings are held in open court before a judge. Both the prosecution and the defense may present evidence and arguments.

The responses of sworn witnesses to the questions posed to them by attorneys or the judge are what type of evidence?

Talk About: -Voir dire

These are also known as trial courts, in which a single judge presides over the proceedings.

Jury selection is a complicated process that varies significantly, not only from state to state, but even from courtroom to courtroom within the same courthouse.

A defendant may not even know that a grand jury is investigating his or her alleged involvement in a crime.

Talk About: -Misdemeanor

If the jury cannot reach consensus to agree on a verdict, a judge may declare a hung jury, which results in the jury being discharged and the case being retried or dismissed.

Crimes are considered offenses against the state.

Talk About: -Harmless error

Talk About: -Prosecutors

Talk About: -Bench trial

This view suggests that legal reasoning is an act of interpretation, involving the evaluation of arguments made by opposing parties.

In this type of plea-bargaining, someone facing the death penalty for a homicide might plead guilty to murder in exchange for a sentence of 25 years in prison with the possibility of parole thereafter.

Talk About: -Evidence

Prosecutors may exercise a great deal of discretion when making decisions like who to charge with which crimes, and whether to agree to a plea bargain or take a case to trial.

The primary function of trial courts is to resolve factual disputes.

In this jurisdiction, a panel of judges reviews the transcripts from a trial court and the legal arguments offered by each party, to rule on whether the decision is in accordance with applicable law.

Prosecutors go by many names in different states, including: