Judicial review: the power of the Supreme Court to review

federal and state laws and decide if they are constitutional

Unconstitutional: in conflict with the Constitution

Supreme Court: highest court in the land

Justice: another word for judge

Appellate jurisdiction: authority to review a case from

lower district courts or from federal regulatory agencies

Judicial: having the power to decide how laws should be

applied in individual cases

Defense attorney: represents the accused person

Civil case: a case in which one party takes legal action

against another party

Due Process of law: procedures established by law and

guaranteed by the Constitution

Felony: a serious crime such as robbery or murder

Criminal case: a case in which a person is accused of

breaking the law

Appeal: to ask another court to hear your case

Misdemeanor: a relatively minor crime

Prosecution: the state's side of the proceedings in a

criminal trial

Morals: what our laws are based upon

Precedent: a ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial

decision in a later, similar case

Plaintiff: person or party filing a lawsuit

Eminent domain: the right of the government to take

private property for public use

Jurisprudence: the study of law

Plea bargain: an agreement to plead guilty to a crime in

exchange for a reduced sentence

Suit: a formal complaint to the court

Original iurisdiction: the authority of a court to be the first

to hear a case

Jurisdiction: the authority to hear and decide a case in a

court of law