1. In the Courtroom

2. Kinds of Law Applied in the State Courts
Constitutional Law: Judicial interpretations
Statutory Law: laws enacted by legislature
Administrative Law: rules issued by fed, state, & local authority

3. Kinds of Law Applied in the State Courts
D. Common Law: unwritten, judge-made law: once decided becomes precedent
E. Equity: seeks to stop wrongs before they occur
Injunctions- stop immediacy of threat to property

4. Criminal & Civil Law Criminal- state is always prosecutor
Felony- greater crime, punished heavily
Misdemeanor- lesser crime: small fine/short jail sentence
Civil- human conduct- disputes between private properties

5. Jury System
Grand Jury- make sure there is sufficient evidence to justify a trial
The Information- formal charge filed by prosecutor w/o action of a grand jury- used for minor offenses

6. Jury System
C. Petit Jury- trial jury- hear evidence & decide disputed facts
Hung jury- can’t agree on verdict (another trial or case dropped)
Bench trial- only judge- minor sums involved

7. Jury System
D. Selection of Jurors
Drawn from- poll books, tax rolls, DMV lists, utility bills, etc.
Served- w/o court order (under 18 or over 70, illiterates, ill, criminals commonly excluded)

8. Organization
Justices of the Peace: stand on lowest rung- usually traffic offenses, etc.
Magistrates: city- cousins of JP’s – police courts

9. Organization
Municipal Courts: jurisdiction is city-wide (hear civil cases)
Juvenile Courts: under 18- usually emphasize rehabilitation more than punishment

10. Organization
E. General Trial Courts: most legal actions brought under state law begin in these courts
F. Intermediate Appellate Courts: courts of appeal- review decisions of trials (do not hold trials)

11. Organization
G. State Supreme Court: review decisions of lower courts that were appealed- final say in all matters of state law

12. Selection of Judges Usually chosen by popular election Missouri Plan
Combines election & appointment process in choosing judges