Criminal Law terms starting with J

8 terms

1. Jencks Act materials The Jencks Act requires the government to give defense counsel any prior statements of witnesses testifying for the government in a criminal case.
2. Joinder The joining together of two or more offenses, or two or more defendants, in the same indictment for purposes of trial.
3. Jurisdiction (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same…
4. Jury A certain number of men and women selected according to law and sworn to try a question of fact or indict a person for public offense.
5. jury instructions A judge's explanation to the jury before it begins deliberations of the questions it must answer and the law governing the case.
6. Jury poll After a jury verdict is returned but before it is officially recorded, the jury may be polled at the request of either party.
7. Jury selection The process by which the adversaries select a jury. The prosecutor and the defense attorney jointly select the jury by using challenges to eliminate those…
8. Justice Department An executive branch agency with responsibilities in a wide range of areas bearing on the administration of justice.