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Texas: The Legal Framework of the Judicial System

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The U.S. and Texas Constitutions form the basic legal framework. Criminal Law: Texas Penal Code ... article of the Texas Constitution to provide framework for ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Texas: The Legal Framework of the Judicial System


1
Texas The Legal Framework of the Judicial System
  • The U.S. and Texas Constitutions form the basic
    legal framework
  • Criminal Law
  • Texas Penal Code
  • Civil Law
  • Statutes

2
The Structure of the Texas Court System
  • Five Levels of Courts
  • Municipal Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts
  • County-Level Courts
  • District Courts
  • Court of Appeals
  • Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals

3
Jurisdiction
  • Original Jurisdiction
  • Courts that try or resolve only those cases being
    heard for the first time.
  • Appellate Jurisdiction
  • Courts that review the decisions of lower courts
    to determine if constitutional and statutory
    principles and procedures were correctly
    interpreted and followed.

4
Judicial Reform
  • Small, incremental changes since the 1970s
  • 1989 Texas Research League concluded that the
    court system was fundamentally flawed.
  • Texas Research League recommended rewriting the
    judiciary article of the Texas Constitution to
    provide framework for unified court system.
  • Structural changes will require popular demand
    for reform.

5
The Jury System
  • Grand Jury
  • Panel that reviews evidence submitted by
    prosecutors to determine whether to indict, or
    charge , an individual with a criminal offense.
  • Petit Jury
  • Panel of citizens that hears evidence in a civil
    lawsuit or a criminal prosecution and decides the
    outcome by issuing a verdict

6
Texas Judiciary 21st Century Directions
  • A Fragmented Court Structure
  • Partisan Elections
  • Minorities on the Bench
  • Criminal Justice
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