chapter 9

4. Courts having the authority to consider and decide both criminal and civil cases in the first instance, as distinguished from appellate courts.
7. Appellate courts review only the lega issues involved and not the factual record of the case.
8. The highest state appellate court with civil jurisdiction.
12. Special state court that handles accused offenders under the age of seventeen.
13. The highest state appeals court with criminal jurisdiction.
14. A collective term referring to the system of courts and its judges and other personnel.
15. The authority of courts that handle offenses punishable by fines, imprisonment, public service, or death. These offenses include murder, rape, assault, theft, embezzlement, fraud, drunken driving, speeding, and other acts that have been defined as criminal by the state legislature or municipal authorities.
16. A small or moderate crime, punishable by fines or, at maximum, a year in jail.

1. The authority of a court to hear cases sent to it on appeal from a lower
2. The authority to hear a case first, usually in a trial.
3. A public official who presides over a court.
5. An official accusation that a person or organization has committed a crime, normally issued by a grand jury, and normally involving felonies rather than misdemeanors.
6. A legal body of twelve or more individuals convened at the county seat. The grand jury considers evidence submitted by prosecutors and determines whether there is sufficient evidence to indict those accused of crimes.
9. A major crime, punishable by at least a year in prison upon conviction. Capital felonies may involve the death penalty.
10. The process in which an accused person agrees to plead guilty to a lesser crime and receives a lighter sentence. He or she avoids having to stand trial on a more serious charge, and the state saves the time and expense of a trial.
11. Six to twelve persons who determine the legal guilt or innocence of defendants in a criminal trial or the liability of defendants in a civil trial.