Barely Legal. . .Terms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Appeal

An appeal is a challenge made after a court decision. A defendant's lawyer can appeal a court decision if their client is found guilty. A prosecutor can appeal a decision made during a trial if the prosecutor feels that evidence has been suppressed by the judge. An appeal made during a trial is known as interlocutory appeals. An appeal is reviewed in a higher court known as the appellate court. An apellee is the person who the appeal is filed against.

Answer: Discovery

Discovery is the exchanging of information between legal parties in a case. Discovery is used to make sure neither side in a case is ambushed in court by surprise evidence.

Answer: Court

Court is a government entity used to resolve issues. A court can have a judge presiding over a ruling or a jury.

Answer: Document

A document is a paper record registered with the court. Most documents are filled out from a template. Legal documents must contain captions, headings, signature space for one or more attorneys and notarization space. When numbers are used in a document it must be written out and in numerical fashion (ten thousand & $10,000).

Answer: Dismissal

A court dismissal is the dropping of charges in a case. The court can dismiss a case per the prosecution or defense. In some cases, the judge can dismiss a case which is known as sua sponte. If a case is dismissed without prejudice, charges against the defendant can be brought again. When a federal court dismisses, Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is used.

Answer: Lawyer

A lawyer is a licensed professional hired or appointed to represent a person. A lawyer should uphold the law while protecting their client. A lawyer must have a bachelor's degree or the equivalent, spend three years in law school, pass the state bar exam, and then take an oath. Only four states allow a person to become a lawyer by just taking the bar exam: California, Vermont, Washington, Virginia.

Answer: Judge

A judge is a person (normally a lawyer) who presides over matters in court. In a civil case, a judge does the majority of questioning. Judges are appointed or elected. United States Supreme Court judges are nominated by the president for the life of the judge or the judge's retirement.

Answer: Transcript

A court transcript is a legal document of a court proceeding. The court transcript of a proceeding can be purchased for a fee. Appellate courts use court transcripts in cases of appeal.

Answer: Jury

A jury is a group of twelve men and women sworn in by a court to decide the fate in a law case. In criminal cases, a juror decides guilty or not guilty. In a civil case, a juror decides liable or not liable.

Answer: Ruling

A ruling is an outcome of a court decision. In the US Supreme Court, five of the nine judges must agree before a final ruling can be issued in a Supreme Court case.