Politics Ch 9 – Flashcards
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1) What are the two conflicting views about the appropriate roles of courts in a democracy?
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Citizens think the court system should be above politics and Americans also want courts to be responsible to the electorate
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make sure you are familiar with the court structure and jurisdictions of each court.
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(Page 250)
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Familiarize yourself with the methods of selecting a judge
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State Elections (Voting) Federal is appointing
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What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?
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Civil appeals
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What are the requirements to be a judge of the Texas Supreme Court?
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Practice law for 10 years, 35 years old, 6 year term Texas and US citizen
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Which court in Texas has automatic jurisdiction over all death penalty cases?
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
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The Texas Supreme court and court of criminal appeals have appellate jurisdiction, which means they have the authority to do what?
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They have authority to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts. (251) determine legal procedures were following correctly)
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Appeals at the level of the court of appeals are typically heard by panels of how many justices?
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3
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The main trial courts in Texas are called____?
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District courts
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Courts that can review matters relating to the disposition of property of decreased persons are referred to as _____?
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Statutory Probate courts
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Justice of the peace courts handle which kind of disputes?
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Small claims
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The majority of cases in municipal courts involve
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Traffic and parking violations.
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In Texas, trial lawyers tend to support which type of judicial candidates?
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Judicial candidates who are sympathetic to plaintiffs (256) Democratic Judicial Candidates
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Why does it typically cost more money to win a seat on the Texas Supreme Court than a seat on the Texas court of criminal appeals?
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There are few interest groups that contribute money to the criminal appeals court candidates' campaigns, which keeps down the costs of the election. (257)
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What is the most important role the governor of Texas plays in the judicial process?
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The governor has the power to appoint judges to fill any vacancies on the bench for the time period before elections are held. (257-259) (Power of the governor to Appoint Judges)
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What is the most important part of a judicial candidate's campaign in Texas?
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Party affiliation
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Why is it difficult for voters to learn about judicial candidates in Texas?
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Are called upon to vote for too many different judicial races in a single election. (262) Overwhelmed with Judicial Elections
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What is the particular problem in Texas judicial elections known as the "name game?"
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Many voters will vote for a judicial candidate with a name they are familiar with, even if they know nothing about the candidate (262-264
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What was the ruling of the Fifth Circuit federal court of appeals in 1993 in the case of League of United Latin American Citizens v. Mattox?
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Blocked trial court order which agreed with the minority plaintiffs (265) Party affiliation of minority candidates
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What is it called when a blue-ribbon committee selects judicial nominees who are then appointed by the governor and must finally run for retention in office?
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Merit selection (267)
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According to a recent increase in campaign contribution limitation, in what situation must a judge recuse himself/herself from a case?
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If a judge receives campaign contributions from a party to a lawsuit, or if the party's lawyer had made contributions in excess of the limits in the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act, the judge would recuse from the case (268)
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What is the most important type of case that the Texas Supreme court handles?
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A tort law case (268-269
