1. What Are Ethics and Morality?
Morality- Involves the values that govern a group’s ideas about right and wrong
Ethics- refers to the rules used to determine the difference between right and wrong

2. Ethical Rules Greatest Good
The action will cause the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
The more good that results, the more right the action
It is used incorrectly when people think only of their own good, or if a person sees only the good created for a small group.
Golden Rule
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
Heart of the rule is EMPATHY- putting yourself in another person’s position.
Real-World Ethics
There are moral rules that most people know instinctively, without thinking. Ex. Lying is wrong
Sometimes you have to do something wrong, ex. Lie, to lead to the best result (ex. Save a life).

3. Ethical Character Traits
Honesty
Character trait of someone who is truthful in dealings with others
Justice
Treating people fairly and equally
Everyone gets his or her fair share
Compassion
Caring about other people and the situation they are in.
Understand other people’s mistakes and motivations
Integrity
A willingness and determination to do the right thing
Stand up for their convictions even when many people are against them.

4. Why is Law Necessary?
Government created laws because people don’t always do what they are supposed to
Law- system of rules of conduct established by a country’s government to maintain stability and justice according to the values that are relevant to the country.
Defines the legal rights and responsibilities of the people
Can require certain actions, or forbid others.
Ethics and law affect each other
Used to be ethically acceptable to have slaves, so there were laws that enforced it
No longer acceptable, laws had to be changed.

5. Business Ethics Activity
GO to page 9 and complete the “Business Ethics” activity.

6. Five Main Sources of Law
Constitutional Law
Constitution- a country’s formal document that spells out the principles by which its government operates.
United States Constitution describes the three branches of the U.S. government
Sets up the limits within which the federal and state governments may pass laws.
Sets down the rights of the people.

7. Five Main Sources of Law
Article I
Sets up the Legislative Branch of the government, Congress, which is responsible for passing laws for the country and lays out duties and requirements for serving in the federal government.
Article II
Creates Executive Branch, which includes the President and all the different departments within the government
Responsible for ensuring that the laws passed by Congress are upheld and followed
Article III
Describes the Judiciary Branch
Responsible for interpreting the laws passed by Congress and adjudicating (judge) criminal cases in federal matters and disputes between parties.

8. Five Main Sources of Law
First three Articles cause a “checks and balances” system.
No one part of government is more powerful than the other.
Other important Articles
Article IV (4)- Each state must accept the laws of other states.
Article V (5)- How laws are added to the Constitution (amendments)
Article VI (6)- Contains Supremacy Clause- U.S. Constitution and laws of the U.S. are highest laws in the country.
Article VII (7)- Explains how to approve the Constitution.
Constitution has 27 amendments.
First 10 are called the Bill of Rights
13TH Amendment- abolished slavery, 19th Amendment- gave women right to vote, 26th Amendment- lowered voting age to 18 years old.

9. Five Main Sources of Law
Common Law
Set of laws made by the courts which provide a series of consistent rules that later courts must follow.
Judges use past cases to help them make decisions. Past cases are known as Precedent.
Precedent- A past case that a court follows when making a present decision.
Stare decisis (“Let the decision stand”)- relying on past court cases
Not used today that much.
Statutes and the Civil Law System
Civil law is based on statutes, rather than court decisions.
Statute- a law passed by a government body that has been made for the purpose of creating laws.
Can order people to do something (ex. Wear seatbelts)
Can say people can’t do something, also known as a criminal statute (ex. Murder is a crime)

10. Five Main Sources of Law
Federal Statute
Laws that are passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President
State Statutes
State legislators cannot pass statutes that conflict with the U.S. Constitution or their own constitutions. (refer to example on page 13)
Ordinances
Most local governments have the power to create laws that affect their citizens, laws known as ordinances.
Include things like parking fines and noise levels after a certain time of day.

11. Five Main Sources of Law
Court Decisions
Courts make laws, known as case law, court decisions, or judge-made law
Courts make laws in three ways:
Common law tradition
Interpreting statutes
Judicial Review
Creating laws-decisions made by the highest courts in the state must be followed by other courts in that state.
Interpreting laws- when a statute is confusing, the court must figure out what it means.
Judge may not interpret a statute unless it is part of a case.
Judicial review- courts decide if any law conflicts with the Constitution. Supreme Court has final say.

12. Chapter 1.2 The Court System and Trial Procedures

13. A DUAL COURT SYSTEM Federal State
Hear cases involving federal subjects
Hear cases involving citizens from different states or from another country
State
Powers not specifically granted to the federal government are reserved for the states.
Have their own courts with their own rules

14. FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM
Jurisdiction- a court’s power to hear a case and to make a judgment
Actions in which the United States or one state is a party, except those actions between a state and its citizens
Cases that raise a federal questions, such as interpreting the Constitution
Cases, which involve citizens of different states and in which the amount of money in dispute exceeds $75,000
Admiralty cases, or those pertaining to the sea
Patent and copyright cases
Bankruptcy cases

15. Federal courts are arranged in three tiers.
First tier is the U.S. District Court
Each state has at least one, many have more than one
Second tier consists of the U.S. Courts of Appeals
Third tier is the U.S. Supreme Court

16. Go to a computer and find the answer to these 2 questions:
Who was the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court?
Who was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and when was she appointed?

17. District Courts Courts of Appeals Have original jurisdiction
A court has the power to hear a case for the first time.
Most federal cases begin in one of the U.S. District Courts
Courts of Appeals
Appellate courts of the federal system
Court that hears appeals and reviews cases from lower courts (can reverse court decisions)
Intermediate Courts- one that is between the lower courts and the highest court of a system.
Appellate jurisdiction- power to hear an appeal from a lower court
Panel of 3 judges, no witnesses, no evidence and no jury
Only questions of law can be raised, not fact (determine if law was properly
applied.

18. Special U.S. Courts Supreme Court Special Federal Courts
Have jurisdiction in certain kinds of cases
Include lawsuits that are brought by citizens against the federal government
Supreme Court
Highest court in the country.
Consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices
President chooses the justices, with Senate’s consent
Justices serve for life
Hear appeals, they choose which ones to hear (vote from 4 of 9)
Two types of jurisdiction- appellate and original.
Original jurisdiction in cases that involve ambassadors, consuls and other public ministers. Also in cases that involve a state.

19. Examine the makeup of the Supreme Court
Examine the makeup of the Supreme Court. Express your opinion about the age, race, or gender of the justices.

20. STATE COURT SYSTEMS Local Trial Courts General Trial Courts
Limited jurisdiction (handles minor matters)
Ex. Disputes over small amounts of money (small-claims court)
Can be heard by traffic, police, or mayor’s courts.
General Trial Courts
General jurisdiction
Handles criminal and civil cases

21. Juvenile Courts
Deal with juvenile offenders and children who need protection from the state.
Up to age 18
Special jurisdiction (delinquent, unruly, abused and neglected children)
Cases are sealed to protect privacy
No right to trial by jury or to be released on bail
Must be proof beyond a reasonable doubt to convict a child as an adult

22. Intermediate Appellate Courts
Hear Appeals
When parties feel they did not have a fair trial
Judge did not interpret the law correctly
Only hear appeals on questions of law
No witnesses
Judge listens to attorneys and study documents and records
State Supreme Courts
Highest court in most states
Hears appeals from lower courts, but does not hold a second trial
Do NOT look at facts, just makes sure lower courts did not make a mistake with interpretation
Some cases may be appeals to U.S. Supreme Court

23. MARBURY vs MADISON
CASE STUDY