Communications 300 Lesson 1

The law may allow behavior that would not be allowed by personal or professional ethics.

Personal and professional ethics make lower demands on acceptable behavior than the law.

The law, as reflected in statutes and court decisions, parallels personal and professional codes of ethics.

Personal and professional ethics are limited by the demands of the law

The U. S. Supreme Court

The U. S. Constitution

The Chief Justice of the United States

The U. S. Congress

Legislative bodies, in enacting laws

Executive agencies, in issuing executive orders

Courts, in deciding cases by interpreting the federal or a state constitution

Administrative agencies, when issuing administrative rules

Statutory law is judge-made or court-made law.

Statutory law is based primarily in constitutional interpretation.

A state statute applies only to people in the state wherein it was adopted and must be consistent with both the federal and the state's constitutions.

A federal statute applies only to specific states, and must be consistent with both the federal Constitution and all state constitutions.

Voir dire is taken more seriously in civil than in criminal cases.

Grand juries meet in public to hear the reading of bills of information.

Criminal law punishes wrongs committed against society.

The punishment for crimes usually is that the criminal must pay damages to the victim of the wrongdoing.

True

False

Appellate courts

Courts of ultimate appeal

Supreme courts

Trial courts

As many appeals as he or she wants

At least one appeal

Appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court

A new trial

True

False

All appeals courts in the federal system

All district courts in the federal system

All state courts of appeal

The U. S. Supreme Court

The federal district courts under the jurisdiction of that U. S. Court of Appeals

U. S. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

All federal judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

There are nine justices on the U. S. Supreme Court.

All federal judges, including the justices on the U. S. Supreme Court, can be removed by the President.

True

False

Four Supreme Court Justices must vote to hear a case.

Justices often write concurring or dissenting opinions to explain their votes on a case.

A plurality opinion is supported by more justices than any other opinion in a case, but is not supported by the majority of justices.

A per curium opinion is issued and signed by one judge, writing for the court.

As interpreter of the U. S. Constitution, the Supreme Court can review the constitutionality of all legislation.

The courts have the power and resources to enforce their own decisions.

The decisions of a state Supreme Court are binding on all of that state's courts.

State governors can call on the U.S. Army to enforce State Supreme Court rulings.

Judicial review is power of courts to deem laws unconstitutional.

There are at least two U. S. District Courts in each state.

The Chief Justice of the United States can veto the votes of the associate justices.

There are 12 justices on the U. S. Supreme Court.

Damages

Indictment

Probable cause

A tort

Respondent

Plaintiff

Petitioner

Defendant

Hear new testimony that was missed by the lower court

Review the application of the law by the lower court

Decide whether a case should be sent to the Supreme Court

Interview the petitioner

True

False

Ethics is the system of rules that governs society.

Law is concerned with what is right and wrong, in a deep moral sense.

Law may deem some ethical codes to be immoral.

Law and ethics both promote social harmony.