Deck 7: The California Judiciary

Question 1

The largest financial contributions to most judicial races come from

A) attorneys.
B) firemen and police officers.
C) prison guards.
D) teachers.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The California Supreme Court rules on a variety of issues. Kleffman v. Vonage Holdings Corp. is one such example in which the state supreme court unanimously ruled that

A) all criminal defendants have a right to counsel.
B) same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in California.
C) unsolicited emails violate provisions of the California state code.
D) justices running in retention elections are prohibited from soliciting campaign donations.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Judges selected by the governor to serve on the supreme court and the court of appeals in California must be approved by the

A) state legislature.
B) attorney general.
C) commission on judicial appointments.
D) speaker of the assembly.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How many superior courts are located in California?

A) 58
B) 98
C) 126
D) 187

Question 5

Which of the following reasons are given by people who argue that judicial elections are the best method of selection for judges?

A) Judicial elections allow judges to have greater independence.
B) Judicial elections insulate judges from politics.
C) Judicial elections allow citizens to hold judges accountable.
D) Judicial elections are the least expensive method for selecting judges.

Question 6

Superior Courts in California adjudicate

A) civil and criminal cases.
B) only civil cases.
C) only criminal cases.
D) appeals only.

Question 7

How many judges serve on the California Supreme Court?

A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9

Question 8

How many women serve on the California Supreme Court?

A) none
B) three
C) four
D) six

Question 9

In California, what court has judicial discretion?

A) traffic courts
B) superior courts
C) courts of appeal
D) supreme court

Question 10

Who is the current chief justice of the California Supreme Court?

A) Ronald George
B) Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye
C) Carol Corrigan
D) Goodwin Liu

Question 11

The Commission on Judicial Appointments consists of

A) a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, and the attorney general.
B) the governor, the attorney general, a lawyer, and a member of the supreme court.
C) a member of the supreme court, a lawyer, and a presiding judge on a superior court.
D) the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, the attorney general, and a presiding judge from the court of appeals.

Question 12

How did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in Gonzales v. Raich (2005)?

A) The Supreme Court ruled that California's term limits for members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is unconstitutional because the U.S. Constitution overrides state laws.
B) The Supreme Court ruled that California's law that denies educational, social, and medical services to illegal immigrants is unconstitutional because the law conflicts with federal powers.
C) The Supreme Court ruled that California's Compassionate Use Act (CUA) is legal because the activity involves intrastate commerce, thereby not warranting federal intervention.
D) The Supreme Court ruled that the commerce power gives Congress the authority to regulate and to punish the manufacture and cultivation of marijuana despite California law that allows for compassionate use.

Question 13

The busiest courts in California are

A) the administrative courts.
B) the superior courts.
C) the appellate courts.
D) the impeachment courts.

Question 14

Why did Proposition 215 conflict with federal law?

A) Federal law requires that emergency services cannot be denied to illegal immigrants.
B) Federal law permits marijuana to be distributed and sold in the District of Columbia.
C) Federal law mandates that for states to receive federal highway funds that the drinking age within that state must be 21.
D) Federal law classifies marijuana as a controlled substance and makes its cultivation, possession, sale, and consumption illegal.

Question 15

What is the function of California's appellate courts?

A) answer questions raised about the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution
B) review trial or superior court records for error
C) review judicial appointments made to the superior courts
D) issue decisions that relate to the Assembly and the Senate

Question 16

Jurisdiction refers to

A) the power of the governor to overturn decisions made by the California
Supreme Court.
B) the kind of law the court handles and the geographic location.
C) the ability of the Assembly to withhold a bill before a vote within the chamber.
D) the ability of the Senate to withhold a bill before a vote within the chamber.

Question 17

California's courts of first instance are more commonly known as

A) appellate courts.
B) superior courts.
C) intermediate courts of appeal.
D) district courts.

Question 18

In California, Proposition 215

A) mandates that all instructions in K-12 classrooms be conducted in English.
B) bans educational, social, and medical services for people that are not legal residents.
C) provides for medical use of marijuana.
D) banned same-sex marriage.

Question 19

In recent years, campaign spending in judicial elections has

A) increased.
B) decreased.
C) remained the same.
D) become impossible to determine.

Question 20

Chief Justice Rose Bird and Associate Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin were voted out by voters who were angry about their decisions dealing with

A) same-sex marriage.
B) the death penalty.
C) Proposition 13.
D) term limits.

Question 21

Discuss an example of the conflict between federal and state law that California courts have to adjudicate.

Question 22

Which U.S. Supreme Court justice has been a vocal critic of state judicial elections?

A) Sonia Sotomayor
B) Sandra Day O'Connor
C) Carol Corrigan
D) John Roberts

Question 23

Judges in California may be impeached by the state Assembly and convicted by

A) an executive order signed by the governor.
B) a writ issued by the chief justice of the California Supreme Court.
C) voter approval in a special election.
D) a two-thirds majority of the state Senate.

Question 24

What is significant concerning Judges Rose Bird, Cruz Reynoso, and Joseph Grodin?

A) All three were appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
B) They are the only judges in California's history to serve as the attorney general and supreme court judges.
C) All three served on the California Supreme Court and were removed from the bench by the voters in 1996.
D) They were the first non-lawyers to be elected to the California Supreme Court in 1986.

Question 25

One method of removing judges in the state of California is

A) removal by the governor.
B) censure by the state legislature.
C) agreement between the speaker of the assembly and the attorney general.
D) a recall election.

Question 26

Describe the organization of California's judicial system. What types of cases does each level of court hear?

Question 27

What kind of caseload do the California courts have? How do the courts expedite the disposition of civil and criminal cases?

Question 28

Describe the process by which judges are appointed to the appellate courts in California. How long can they serve?

Question 29

Most criminal cases in California are resolved through

A) plea bargaining.
B) appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.
C) incarceration.
D) clemency granted by the governor.

Question 30

What arguments have been made in favor of appointing judges in California rather than electing them? What are the concerns regarding the election of judges in California?