The United States Supreme Court and Judicial Review

The United States Constitution establishes three branches of government--the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch, headed by the President of the United States, carries out, executes, and administers the law. The United States Congress, the legislative branch of government, makes or enacts the law. The judicial branch, headed by the United States Supreme Court, interprets laws and resolves disputes that arise under the laws.

Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

A person or company unable to pay debts may declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legal process in which the financial affairs of the debtor (a person or a company) are placed in the hands of the bankruptcy court. The process is intended to protect the creditors of the debtor and assure their equal treatment.

The Jurisdiction of a Federal Court

Jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear and decide a case. A federal court's authority to hear a specific case comes from the United States Constitution and federal laws. It is necessary for a federal court to have both subject matter jurisdiction (power over the legal matter involved in the case) and personal jurisdiction (power over the parties to the lawsuit) for the court to make a legally valid decision in a case.

Juvenile Courts

A juvenile court is a specialized civil court dealing with children who are under the age of 18 who are abused, neglected, dependent, delinquent, and status offenders. Some juvenile courts also have the power to require treatment for mentally ill or developmentally disabled children. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate the juvenile. The juvenile court makes use of social service programs. There are important differences between juvenile courts and other civil courts. Juvenile hearings are usually closed to the public so that the juvenile's privacy is protected. A juvenile has no right to request a trial by jury. Juveniles cannot post bail in order to be released from detention. The probation officers involved in the juvenile justice system are court employees. They conduct evaluations and prepare reports to aid the juvenile judges in deciding a case. They also supervise juveniles who are placed on probation and report on the progress of juveniles on probation.

Impeachment and Recall of State Judges

All states have some procedure for removing state judges who are found to have engaged in serious misconduct. Such procedures are set out in the state's constitution or laws. This article discusses the removal of state judges by impeachment and by recall elections.