Summary: American Legal System

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• 1 american legal system

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• An agency, created and funded by Congress, whose members are appointed by the president and whose function is to administer specific legislation, such as law regulating broadcasting and advertising.

  Administrative Agency

• Principles and rules of law that derive their authority not from legislation but from community usage and custom.

  Common Law

• A jury whose function is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to issue an indictment or true bill charging an individual or individuals with a crime and to take such persons to trial. 

  Grand Jury

• a group of citizens chosen to hear evidence and make a decision in a court of law

  Jury

• refers to a court that holds the authority to hear all types of cases except those prohibited by the laws in that state. Case types include civil, criminal, family, probate, and others.

  General Jurisdiction

• the court's jurisdiction only on certain types of cases such as bankruptcy, family matters, etc. It derives power from an issuing authority, such as a Constitution or a statute.

  Limited Jurisdiction

• apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court. An application to a higher court for a decision to be reversed.

  Appeal

• the system of law concerned with private relations between members of a community rather than criminal, military, or religious affairs.

  Civil Law

• comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process (in the U.S.) or fundamental justice to all cases that come before a court.

  Procedural Law

• the highest federal court in the US, consisting of nine justices and taking judicial precedence over all other courts in the nation.

  Supreme Court