POLS 3600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: General Jurisdiction, United States District Court, Misdemeanor

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 3600
• Professor: Ethan Boldt

Document Summary

Adversarial process: lawyers for each side represent their clients best interests in presenting evidence and formulating arguments as a means to discover the truth and protect the rights of defendants. Other countries use the inquisitorial process: judge takes an active role in investigating the case and examining evidence by, for example, questioning witnesses. The federal courts oversee a limited range of criminal cases. State supreme courts monitor the decisions of lower courts within their own states by interpreting state constitutions and statutes. The supreme court oversees both court systems by interpreting the us constitution, which protects the rights of defendants in federal and state criminal cases. A third court system operates in several states; this adds to the issues of complexity and coordination that the country"s decentralized courts face. Native americans have tribal courts, whose authority is endorsed by congressional statutes and supreme court decisions, with jurisdiction over their own people on tribal land.