trial court
Initial hearing venue
A trial court is where legal cases are first heard and decided—the level at which evidence is presented, witnesses testify, and a judge or jury renders a verdict.
Distinguished from appellate courts, which review trial court decisions for errors of law rather than retrying facts: The case was decided in trial court before being appealed.
Charge-reading court session
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- motionChange in position
- pleadingsFormal litigation documents
- docketCourt's case schedule
testimony · cross-examination · evidence · discovery · deposition · subpoena · summons · complaint
One who decides
- plaintiffCivil case initiator
- defendantParty facing charges
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- defense attorneyLawyer representing the accused
witness · jury · bailiff · clerk · litigant · counsel · magistrate · foreman
Responsible for wrongdoing
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
sentence · deliberation · unanimous · hung jury · findings · beyond reasonable doubt · plea · mistrial
arraignment
Charge-reading court session
docket · testimony · cross-examination · evidence · discovery · deposition · subpoena · summons · complaint · voir dire
judge
One who decides
- plaintiffCivil case initiator
- defendantParty facing charges
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
defense attorney · witness · jury · bailiff · clerk · litigant · counsel · magistrate · foreman · expert witness
guilty
Responsible for wrongdoing
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
judgment · sentence · deliberation · unanimous · hung jury · findings · beyond reasonable doubt · plea · mistrial · default judgment
original jurisdiction
Court's power to hear cases first
- legallawyer, judge, jury, verdict, case
- courtsdistrict courts, federal courts, circuit courts, municipal courts, family courts
- litigationpleadings, lawsuit, plaintiff, complaint, lawsuits
- courtroomjudge, jury, oath taking, lawyer, bench
- criminal justicearrest, jail, prison, crime, guilty
- legal systemattorney, landmark cases, criminal cases, lawyers, legal precedents
trial courtappellate court
Tribunal reviewing lower decisions
court of appeals · appeals court · supreme court · higher court · high court
trial courtarbitration
Non-court binding dispute resolution
mediation · arbitration panel · out-of-court settlement · settlement · negotiation
court, trial, courtship, courting, courthouse, courtly, courtroom, courted, courtier