Deck 4: Organization of Courts

Question 1

Personal jurisdiction is best defined as a court's:

A)jurisdiction over the subject matter of a case
B)authority to determine the merits of a dispute and grant relief
C)jurisdiction over the people who are the plaintiff and defendant
D)authority to move a case from state court to federal court

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A court of general jurisdiction is authorized to hear:

A)a narrowly defined set of cases
B)a broad array of civil and criminal cases
C)only family law cases
D)only cases involving small dollar amounts

Answer 2

B

Question 3

______________ have the final word on all state constitutional questions.

A)state courts of last resort
B)state intermediate appellate courts
C)state courts of general jurisdiction
D)state trial courts of limited jurisdiction

Answer 3

A

Question 4

If a tenant claims that a landlord is discriminating against her due to her race (the tenant is claiming that the landlord has violated the Fair Housing Act, a federal law) and is alleging $10,000 in damages, which court has subject matter jurisdiction?

A)Only federal court
B)Only state court
C)Either federal or state court

Question 5

Jane and Bob get into a car accident in Maine. Jane is a citizen of Georgia and Bob is a citizen of Texas. Jane wants to sue Bob and alleges her damages are $100,000. Which court has subject matter jurisdiction?

A)Only federal court
B)Only state court
C)Either federal or state court

Question 6

The primary courts in the federal system are:

A)Article I courts
B)Article II courts
C)Article III courts
D)All of the above

Question 7

How many judges sit on the panels to hear cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeal?

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

Question 8

If a party seeks appellate review under the United State Supreme Court's appellate review under the Court's mandatory jurisdiction, that party files a:

A)Writ of appeal
B)Writ of certiorari
C)Circuit split
D)Motion for summary judgment

Question 9

Which of the following is not an example of an Article 1 Court?

A)the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
B)the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
C)the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
D)the U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Question 10

Rule 10 of the Supreme Court lists ___________ as the most important factor the Court considers when deciding whether or not to grant a petition for a writ of certiorari.

A)the substantive issue of the case
B)the importance of the parties involved in the case
C)whether the case involves reapportionment
D)the existence of a circuit split on an issue

Question 11

Defense attorneys for the man accused in the Boston Marathon bombing requested a ______________ on the grounds that their client would not receive a fair trial because the pretrial publicity was overwhelmingly prejudicial on a potential jury pool in the area.

A)motion for removal jurisdiction
B)change of venue
C)habeas corpus hearing
D)writ of certiorari

Question 12

Original jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to:

A)hear a case for the first time
B)review a lower court decision to determine if there are errors in process or procedure
C)hear cases arising under the U.S. constitution or federal statutes
D)hear cases involving litigants from different states who meet certain conditions

Question 13

The authority federal courts have to hear cases that raise federal questions derives from:

A)the Supreme Court's ruling in Marbury v. Madison (1803)
B)Article II of the U.S. Constitution
C)the Supreme Court's ruling in Hylton v. United States (1796)
D)Article III, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution

Question 14

Most habeas corpus petitions are filed on behalf of prisoners:

A)convicted in state court in capital murder cases
B)being held as part of the War on Terrorism
C)convicted of an offense in state court in which they received a life sentence
D)convicted in federal court for in tax fraud cases

Question 15

The concept of state sovereign immunity is articulated in

A)Dredd Scott v. Sandford (1857)
B)the Eleventh Amendment
C)the Thirteenth Amendment
D)Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins (1938)

Question 16

Which of the following is not an example of an Article III Court?

A)the U.S. Tax Court
B)the U.S. courts of appeal
C)the U.S. Supreme Court
D)the U.S. district courts

Question 17

The courts of appeals rely on ____________ to process their caseloads.

A)en banc proceedings
B)retired judges on senior status hearing cases
C)three-judge panels
D)Supreme Court justices engaged in circuit riding

Question 18

Probate court is an example of a state court of ______________________________.

A)General jurisdiction
B)Appellate jurisdiction
C)Original jurisdiction
D)Limited jurisdiction