chapter 13-14 government

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