1. How many levels does the pyramid of Federal Judiciary consist of?
2.What courts is the Federal Judiciary composed of?
3. What are the main duties of the U.S. Supreme Court?
4. What is the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court?
5. What kinds of cases does it consider?
6. How many Circuit Courts of Appeal are there in federal judiciary?
7. What is the jurisdiction of the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal?
8. What courts are at the bottom of the pyramid?
9.How many courts are there at this level?
10. What does 'trial courts' mean?
11. What is the jurisdiction of the. U.S. District Courts?
12. Name the other courts, outside the federal judicial pyramid.
2. Agree or disagree with the following statements using model. Correct the false ones
TEXT 3 STATE JUDICIARY
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. Study the active vocabulary from the text:
1. a will — завещание
2. to distribute — распределять, рассредоточивать
3. adoption — усыновление, удочерение
4. annulment — аннулирование (зд. судебное решение о призна-
нии брака недействительным)
5. divorce — расторжение брака, развод
6. alimony — алименты
7. custody — опека, опекунство (попечительство)
8. delinquent children — дети, совершившие (или склонные к со-
вершению) правонарушения (делинквенты)
9. ordinance — указ, декрет, закон, постановление, распоряжение
10. to find guilty/not guilty — признать виновным/невиновным
11. discretionary — предоставленный на (собственное) усмо-
трение
12. government — обвинение как сторона в процессе (амер.)
READING PRACTICE
Read and translate the text, pay special attention to the vocabulary:
No two state court systems are exactly alike. Nevertheless, there are sufficient similarities to provide an example of what a typical state court system looks like. Most state court systems are made up of two sets of trial courts: trial courts of limited jurisdiction (probate, family, traffic, etc.) and trial courts of general jurisdiction; intermediate appellate courts and the highest state courts. Unlike federal judges, most state court judges are not appointed for life but are either elected or appointed for a certain number of years.
Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction
Trial courts of limited jurisdiction are courts that deal with only specific types of cases. They are usually presided over by a single judge. Some examples of trial courts of limited jurisdiction include:
1. Probate court: This court considers cases concerning administration of estates. It sees to it that the provisions of a will are carried out properly or sees to it that a decedent’s property is distributed according to the state law.
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2. Family court: This court hears cases concerning adoption, divorce, alimony etc.
3. Traffic court: This court usually considers minor violations of traffic laws.
4. Juvenile court: This court usually deals with cases involving delinquent, unruly or neglected children and adults who neglect, abuse or contribute to the juvenile delinquency.
5. Small claims court: This court usually resolves suits between private persons of a relatively low dollar amount, for example, less than $5,000.
6. Municipal court: This court usually considers cases involving offenses against city ordinances.
Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction
Trial courts of general jurisdiction hear cases outside the jurisdiction of the trial courts of limited jurisdiction. These involve both civil and criminal cases. One judge (often sitting with a jury) usually hears them. In such cases, the judge decides issues of law, while the jury decides issues of fact.
Intermediate Appellate Courts
Many, but not all, states have intermediate appellate courts between the trial courts of general jurisdiction and the highest court in the state. Any party, except in a case where a defendant in a criminal trial has been found not guilty, who is not satisfied with the judgment of a state trial court may appeal the matter to an appropriate intermediate appellate court. These courts usually sit in panels of two or three judges and review cases appealed from trial courts to determine if the law was correctly interpreted and applied.
Highest State Courts
All states have some sort of highest court.. In states with intermediate appellate courts, the
highest state courts usually have discretionary review as to whether to accept a case. In states without intermediate appellate courts, appeals may usually be taken to the highest state court as a matter of right. In addition, many state supreme courts have original jurisdiction in certain matters.
COMPREHENSION PRACTICE