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The Supreme Court and the Law

Word List with 58 words
*By Dictionary.com

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Words in This List

immunity
n.,
exemption from criminal prosecution or legal liability or punishment on certain conditions.
adversary system
noun
legal process in which each side advocates its position before a neutral court
amicus curiae brief
noun
brief presented by someone interested in a lawsuit's outcome but who is not a party to it
appellate jurisdiction
noun
power to review and modify a lower court's decision
bill of attainder
noun
legislative act of finding a person guilty of treason or a felony without trial
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civil disobedience
noun
refusal to obey laws for the purpose of influencing government policy
civil law
noun
body of laws regulating individual's ordinary private matters
clear and present danger test
noun
standard used to find if someone's First Amendment rights were violated
commercial speech
noun
advertisement for products and services
community policing
verb
assigning the same police officers to patrol neighborhoods and work local groups to reduce crime
concurring opinion
noun
opinion by a judge who agrees with the majority's decision but for different reasons
contract clause
noun
Constitutional provision on how states can regulate contracts between individuals
court of appeals
noun
court which considers lower court decisions
criminal law
noun
laws dealing with criminal offenses and their punishments
defendant
noun
person facing a claim or charge in court
dissenting opinion
noun
opinion by a judge who disagrees with the majority decision of a case
docket
verb (used with
to enter a cause into a list of cases in court for trial
double jeopardy
noun
subjecting a person to a second trial over the same offense the person was tried for previously
dual citizenship
noun
person who is a legal citizen of two or more countries
due process
noun
administration of laws, which afford legal rights to citizens and conform to legal principles
due process clause
noun
Constitutional provision guaranteeing fairness and legal rights to people
eminent domain
noun
power of the state to take private property for public use with payment to the owner
establishment clause
noun
First amendment provision banning the government from enacting laws establishing a religion
ex post facto
noun
law changing the legal consequences of actions committed before the law took effect
exclusionary rule
noun
rule forbidding introduction of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial
extradition
noun
the surrender of an alleged fugitive from justice by one state, nation, or authority to another
fighting words
noun
speech said to inflict injury or incite a disturbance
free exercise clause
noun
First amendment provision banning Congress from making laws which prohibit religious practice
grand jury
noun
jury which inquires into alleged violations of the law to decide if the evidence warrants a trial
indictment
noun
formal accusation by a grand jury initiating a criminal case
judicial activism
noun
theory of judicial behavior which bases decisions on public welfare, not precedent
judicial restraint
noun
theory advocating judicial behavior which bases decisions on precedent, not public good
judicial review
noun
power of a court to review and rule on the constitutionality of the laws
justiciable dispute
noun
dispute capable of settlement by legal methods
libel
noun
defamation by written words, printed pictures or in any form other than spoken words or gestures
naturalization
verb
legal action giving a foreigner citizenship
non-protected speech
noun
Speech without protection, such as libel, obscenity, fighting words and commercial speech
obscenity
noun
indecency, lewdness
opinion of the court
explanation for the reasons behind the court's judgment
original jurisdiction
noun
power to consider cases in the first instance
petit jury
noun
6 to 12 people who consider a case in a trial
plea bargain
noun
agreement letting a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of a more serious one
police powers
noun
authority of state governments to pass laws protecting the public health, safety and welfare
precedent
noun
legal decision serving as an authoritative pattern for future similar cases
preferred position doctrine
noun
First Amendment interpretation holding government shouldn't punish people for what they say
prior restraint
noun
court order banning publication of unpublished material or speech
procedural due process
noun
guarantee of fairness in process where government could deprive a person of liberty or property
property rights
noun
freedom to own, use, rent, invest in, buy and sell property
public defender system
noun
structure of government-hired attorneys who give legal aid to defendants who can't afford attorneys
racial profiling
verb
actions of police targeting ethnic minorities as potential suspects of criminal activities
regulatory taking
noun
appropriation of private property by governmental regulation which exceeds its legitimate power
right of expatriation
noun
right to give up citizenship
search warrant
noun
court order authorizing for examination of a dwelling or other private premises by police
sedition
noun
incitement of rebellion against a government
selective incorporation
noun
process making the Bill of Rights apply to state and local governments through the 14th amendment
stare decisis
noun
doctrine saying principles of law set in a previous decision are authoritative in future cases
writ of certiorari
noun
order issued to a lower court to bring the case before the Supreme Court for review
writ of habeas corpus
order requiring a prisoner be brought before a judge to decide if the prisoner was legally detained

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Similar to The Supreme Court and the Law
Essential Latin Roots: Para-
by Dictionary.com
11 words

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SAT English: Adjectives to charm your instructor
by Dictionary.com
15 words

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Contemporary Presidencies

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