law
the set of rules and standards by which a society governs itself
code of hammurabi
laws collected to Hammurabi as king of Bolivia that categorized crime, provided 282 examples, along with punishment
roman law
laws made up of twelve tables that the Romans made by writing each one on a different table. The laws became more difficult to follow as the roman empire spread
rule of law
the idea that no one is above the law
judicial review
the power of the supreme court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional
unconstitutional
not in accordance with a political constitution
impartial
unbiased
criminal trial court
hears cases about crimes like burglary, murder, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
inquisitorial system
a trial system where the judge plays an active role in gathering evidence
adversarial system
a trial system that is a contest between both sides
original jurisdiction
the authority of a trial court to be the first to hear a case
grand jury
a group that hears charges against a suspect and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to bring the person to trial
indictment
a formal charge of criminal action by a grand jury
petit jury
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plaintiff
in a civil trial, the person who brings suit in court
prosecutor
an attorney who represents the government in a criminal case
defendant
the person against whom a civil or criminal suit is brought in court
public deffender
attorney who works for the state and defense people who can't afford a private attorney