Comparing Criminal and Civil Lawsuits

Name: ______P: ___ Cases of the Courts Criminal vs. Civil Law Criminal:

EX- EX- Civil: Comparing Criminal and Civil Lawsuits Fatal Home Explosion and the Bank Heist

Article One (Civil or Criminal) Article Two (Civil or Criminal)

1. Who are the parties on both sides of the case?

2. What happened?

3. Which party initiated the case?

4. What is this party asking the court to decide?

5. What penalty or remedy are they seeking?

6. Has the trial already happened? If so, what was the outcome? 7. What must the person prove to win? What is the burden of proof in this type of case?

SCOTUS Step 1: How a Case Reaches the Supreme Court 1. ______– called the “Rule of ____”: if 4 of 9 justices wish to hear case it will be accepted 2. ______– less common: issues if a lower court says they don’t know how to decide on a case

Step 2: Trial Process at Supreme Court 1. Trial ______function like trial courts 2. No “______” presented, or witnesses questioned, etc. 3. _____ attorney for each side present arguments for ______minutes, while being questioned by justices 4. Once arguments are over, justices write ______on the case 5. Each justice ______which opinion to ______his/her name to

Step 3: Opinions 1. Majority opinion – a. Becomes precedent for how future similar cases should be decided 2. Dissenting Opinion – a. It’s important because can be logic for future group of justices to overturn decision 3. Concurring Opinion – 4. If justice has conflict of interest he/she can ______self (stay off case)

Judicial Review Watch the following video and takes notes below for each of the “Acts” discussed in the video. Make sure to take DETAILED notes! These will help with the next activity! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwciUVLdSPk

Act I Act II Act III  Power to declare acts of government ______, thus eliminating them  All comes from ______o Claimed Supreme Court has right to declare acts of Congress ______o Laid ______of judicial branch as key ______in U.S. government