HLT POL 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Subpoena Duces Tecum, Phlebotomy, Small Claims Court
Document Summary
The u. s. legal system has one federal legal system and fifty separate and unique state systems. For example, the federal government administers the u. s. tax court and the u. s. bankruptcy court. The state governments administer such courts as traffic and small claims courts. The majority of criminal cases originate in state courts. The separation between the three branches created a system of checks and balances and was designed by the framers of the constitution so that no one branch could have more power than another branch. The legislative branch, referred to as congress, is the lawmaking body. Senate and house of representatives and is responsible for passing legislation into law. The executive branch (consisting of the president of the united states, his or her cabinet, and various advisers) administers and enforces the law. The judicial branch (consisting of judges and the federal courts, including the supreme court) interprets the laws.