Most of the minorities who have served on the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals ...

Most of the minorities who have served on the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals __________.
 
  a. overwhelmingly won statewide elections to gain their seats
  b. were originally appointed by the governor to fill midterm vacancies
  c. were selected by the Judicial Commission to follow affirmative action policies
  d. have been Native Americans

 Q. 2

What effect did League of United Latin American Citizens et al. v. Mattox et al. have on the Texas judicial system?
 
  a. The Court determined that because minority voting power is diluted in statewide elections, Texas had to divide the state into eight districts for electing associate justices of the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals.
  b. It required the governor to consider race and ethnicity as a factor when appointing judges to vacancies.
  c. Although the Court ruled against the minority plaintiffs, the publicity of the case has led to the election of Hispanics to high-level Texas courts in proportion to their share of the state's population.
  d. It resulted in little change, and Texas judges for district courts in urban areas are still elected on a countywide basis.

 Q. 3

When a case reaches an appellate court __________.
 
  a. judges and a jury start a de novo trial
  b. the jury provides an opinion to help the judges determine the innocence or guilt of a defendant
  c. judges can overturn the decisions of lower courts as long as they get a majority vote from the original jurists to do so
  d. judges review the case to determine if the lower courts conformed to constitutional and statutory law

 Q. 4

Cases reach the Texas Supreme Court primarily on __________.
 
  a. petitions for review
  b. writs of mandamus
  c. petitions for acceptance
  d. de novo writs

 Q. 5

The Texas Supreme Court __________.
 
  a. must hear all cases appealed to it from lower courts
  b. holds oral arguments in cases in private with only lawyers for the two sides allowed to be present
  c. has significant discretion over what cases it will consider
  d. will only hear an appeal from a lower court if all justices on the court agree to hear the appeal

 Q. 6

In what way does the district attorney (DA) exercise considerable power in the criminal justice process?
 
  a. Because DAs are appointed by the governor, their work in the criminal justice system can be an extension of the governor's policy on crime.
  b. The DA can postpone a criminal trial indefinitely at any time until the state can bring enough evidence to get a conviction.
  c. The DA decides which cases to take to a grand jury for an indictment and whether to seek the maximum penalty for an offense.
  d. Not only do DAs prosecute felonies, but they are also in charge of the state prisons within their districts.

 Q. 7

Convicting a defendant on a felony charge in Texas __________.
 
  a. requires a unanimous jury verdict
  b. requires the judge to agree with a jury's decision
  c. requires a preponderance of evidence of potential guilt
  d. is most often the responsibility of grand juries