Question 1

There are ________ United States Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Accepted Answer

There are thirteen United States Circuit Courts of Appeals, each covering a different region of the country.

Question 2

The Justices of the Supreme Court are ___________________.

Accepted Answer

The President of the United States appoints Justices to the Supreme Court, but the Senate must approve the appointments. Justices are not elected or appointed by Congress.

Question 3

In which case did the Supreme Court uphold the right to execute defendants with mental retardation?

Accepted Answer

Penny v. Lynaugh is the case where the Supreme Court upheld the right to execute defendants with mental retardation.

Question 4

A document issued by a higher court directing a lower court to prepare the record of a case and send it to the higher court for review is called ___________.

Accepted Answer

A writ of certiorari is a document issued by a higher court (such as a U.S. Supreme Court or a state supreme court) ordering a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. This writ is commonly used as a means of appealing a lower court's decision. A writ of habeas corpus is a different type of writ that is used to challenge the legality of a person's detention. A writ of corpus delicti is not a commonly used legal term. A writ of replevin is a court order that allows a person to recover goods that have been wrongfully taken or withheld from them.

Question 5

The single largest category of federal cases are ____________.

Accepted Answer

Drug cases make up the single largest category of federal cases. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, drug offenses accounted for 32.4% of all federal cases in fiscal year 2020. This is followed by immigration offenses at 29.7% and firearm offenses at 11.7%. The other options listed (terrorism, murder, child abduction, and political cases) do not make up as large a percentage of federal cases.

Question 6

Which of the following is known as the "court of last resort?"

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court is known as the "court of last resort" because it is the highest court in the United States and it has the final authority to hear appeals and make decisions on federal law and constitutional issues.

Question 7

What case dealt with the issue of making the marriage between a black and a white a criminal offense?

Accepted Answer

The case of Loving v. Virginia dealt with the issue of making the marriage between a black and a white a criminal offense. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation law was unconstitutional and violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision paved the way for legalizing interracial marriages throughout the United States.

Question 8

As a federal officer, if I wanted to get a search warrant, I would go to __________.

Accepted Answer

A federal officer would go to the federal magistrate court to get a search warrant as they are authorized to issue search warrants in federal criminal cases.

Question 9

A writ requesting that a person or institution detaining a named prisoner bring him or her before a judicial officer and give their reasons for detention is called ____________.

Accepted Answer

The description given matches that of a writ of habeas corpus, which is a legal action used to challenge unlawful detention or imprisonment.

Question 10

In which case did the Supreme Court uphold reasonable drug test of employees?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court upheld reasonable drug testing of employees in National Treasury Employees Unions v. Von Raab. In this case, the Court ruled that drug testing was constitutional for employees who were involved in drug interdiction or who carried firearms, as these positions presented unusually great risks to public safety if performed by drug users.

Question 11

Courts that have regular, unlimited jurisdiction over all cases and controversies involving civil and criminal law are called ___________________.

Accepted Answer

Courts of general jurisdiction have unlimited jurisdiction over all types of cases that fall within their geographic boundaries. They handle both civil and criminal cases and are often called trial courts. Courts of limited jurisdiction, on the other hand, have limited authority and can only hear certain types of cases, such as traffic violations or small claims. Courts of appellate jurisdiction only hear cases on appeal from lower courts. Supreme Courts are the highest courts in their respective jurisdictions, but they may not have unlimited jurisdiction over all types of cases.

Question 12

In which case did the Supreme Court uphold the right to use checkpoints to stop cars and check for drunk drivers?

Accepted Answer

Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz (1990) upheld the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints for the purpose of combating drunk driving. The Court ruled that the state's interest in preventing drunk driving outweighed the minimal intrusion on sober drivers who are briefly stopped.

Question 13

The Supreme Court ruled that employers may sometimes favor women and minorities over better-qualified men and whites in hiring and promoting to achieve better balance in their workforces in which case?

Accepted Answer

In Johnson v. Transportation Agency of Santa Clara County, the Supreme Court ruled that employers may sometimes use affirmative action to favor women and minorities over better-qualified men and whites in hiring and promoting to achieve better balance in their workforces.

Question 14

Courts that specialize in certain areas of law such as family law or juvenile law are called ____________.

Accepted Answer

Courts that specialize in specific areas of law are called courts of specialized jurisdiction. These courts are designed to handle specific types of cases, and their judges and staffs are typically more knowledgeable about the intricacies of those types of cases than judges and staffs of courts of general jurisdiction, which handle a broader range of cases.

Question 15

There are ________ federal district courts.

Accepted Answer

There are 94 federal district courts in the United States, each serving a specific geographic region.

Question 16

There are _________ members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

There are nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court. This is established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution.

Question 17

Courts with the power to review the judgments of trial courts, examining them for errors, are called _______________.

Accepted Answer

Courts with the power to review the judgments of trial courts, examining them for errors, are called courts of appellate jurisdiction. They primarily hear appeals from lower courts, and their purpose is to determine whether the law was applied correctly in the trial court. Courts of limited jurisdiction are those with authority over limited subject matter or geographic jurisdiction, while courts of general jurisdiction have broad jurisdiction over many types of cases. Courts of specialized jurisdiction handle specific types of cases, such as family law or bankruptcy.

Question 18

For which of the following may a "writ of habeas corpus" not be used.

Accepted Answer

A writ of habeas corpus is used to challenge the legality of a person's detention, and therefore cannot be used to challenge conditions of confinement or a search that led to conviction.

Question 19

The trial courts of the federal system are called __________.

Accepted Answer

The trial courts of the federal system are called district courts.

Question 20

The term habeas corpus means _______________ in Latin.

Accepted Answer

Habeas corpus is a Latin term that literally means "you have the body." In legal terms, it refers to the right of an individual to challenge their arrest or detention by a government or law enforcement agency, and to be brought before a court to determine the legality of their detention.

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