The Federal Courts

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Across
  1. 2. the highest court in a particular state or in the United States
  2. 3. the right of an individual or organization to initiate a court case, on the basis of having a substantial stake in the outcome
  3. 4. a criterion used by courts to screen cases that no longer require resolution
  4. 6. Article VI of the Constitution, which states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision
  5. 8. the individual or organization that brings a complaint in court
  6. 12. the top government lawyer in all cases before the Supreme Court where the government is a party
  7. 14. a court that hears appeals of trial court decisions
  8. 15. written documents in which attorneys explain, using case precedents, why the court should find in favor of their client
  9. 16. a legal action by which a group or class of individuals with common interests can file a suit on behalf of everyone who shares that interest
  10. 17. the branch of law that regulates the conduct of individuals, defines crimes, and specifies punishment for proscribed conduct
  11. 18. the sphere of a court's power and authority
Down
  1. 1. the one against whom a complaint is brought in a criminal or civil case
  2. 5. deciding cases on the rules and principles set forth in previous court rulings; stare decisis is Latin, meaning "to let the decision stand"
  3. 7. literally, "friend of the court"; individuals or groups who are not parties to a lawsuit but who seek to assist the Supreme Court in reaching a decision by presenting additional briefs
  4. 8. a prior case whose principles are used by judges as the basis for their decision in a present case
  5. 9. the first court to hear a criminal or civil case
  6. 10. the power of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches and, if necessary, declare them invalid or unconstitutional
  7. 11. the branch of law that deals with disputes that do not involve criminal penalties
  8. 13. a negotiated agreement in a criminal case in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty in return for the state's agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge or prison sentence the defendant is facing