{"id":82,"date":"2016-11-15T20:31:43","date_gmt":"2016-11-15T20:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/odessa-texasgovernment\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=82"},"modified":"2018-03-16T18:05:08","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T18:05:08","slug":"jurisdiction-types-of-law-and-the-selection-of-judges","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/austincc-texasgovernment\/chapter\/jurisdiction-types-of-law-and-the-selection-of-judges\/","title":{"raw":"Jurisdiction, Types of Law, and the Selection of Judges","rendered":"Jurisdiction, Types of Law, and the Selection of Judges"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\nBy the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul class=\"im_orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Discuss the different types of jurisdiction<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Discuss the different types of law<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe the selection process, and qualifications, for Texas Judges<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<section id=\"fs-idp225728592\"><section id=\"fs-idp225728592\">\r\n<h1>Types of Jurisdictions<\/h1>\r\nEvery court system has jurisdiction over certain cases, from enforcing traffic laws to hearing capital murder charges. There are four types of jurisdictions:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Original Jurisdiction<\/strong>- the court that gets to hear the case first. For example, Municipal courts typically have original jurisdiction over traffic offenses the occur within city limits.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Appellate Jurisdiction<\/strong>- the power for a higher court to review a lower court's decision. For example, the Texas Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over the District Courts (See the hierarchy of Texas Court Structure in this Unit).<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Exclusive Jurisdiction<\/strong>- only that court can hear a specific case. For example, only the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Court can hear appeals for death penalty sentences.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Concurrent Jurisdiction<\/strong>- multiple courts share the jurisdiction. For example, a civil dispute over $200 can be heard in a Texas District Court or Texas County Court.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h1>Types of Law<\/h1>\r\nThere are two basic types of law in any legal system- Civil and Criminal. Below is a table differentiating the two:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-158 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/690\/2017\/01\/13185642\/Law_Lumen1.png\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" \/>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">There are two types of crime: misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors are considered minor crimes, and felonies are defined as major crimes.[footnote]Texas Penal Code http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/?link=PE[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<table style=\"height: 613px;width: 715px\" width=\"678\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 15px\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 489px;height: 15px\"><strong>Offense<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 110px;height: 15px\"><strong>Punishment<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 82px;height: 15px\"><strong>Court<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px;text-align: left\"><strong>Capital Murder (Capital Felony)<\/strong>- Examples: Murder of a law enforcement official, prison guard, or firefighter on duty; commits murder with other types of felonies; murder for hire; mass murder; murder of someone under the age of 10<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 110px;height: 60px\">\u00a0Life or Death Penalty<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 82px;height: 60px\">District Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>First degree felony<\/strong>- Examples: Murder; theft of property worth over $200,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">5-99 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">District Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Second degree felony<\/strong>- Examples: Manslaughter; theft of property worth between $100,000-200,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">2-20 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0District Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Third degree felony<\/strong>- Examples: Impersonating someone online; theft of property worth $20,000-100,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">2-10\u00a0 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">District Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>State jail felony<\/strong>- Examples: Possession of 4 ounces to 1lb of marijuana; theft of property worth $15,000-20,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0180 days-2 years on prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0District Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Class A Misdemeanor<\/strong>- Examples: Resisting arrests; theft of property worth $500-1,500<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a01 year in prison, maximum fine of $4,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">County Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Class B Misdemeanor<\/strong>- Examples: Terroristic threat; theft of property worth $20-500<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">180 days in prison, maximum fine of $2,000<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">County Court<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 75px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 75px;text-align: left\"><strong>Class C Misdemeanor<\/strong>- Examples: Sexting with someone 17 or younger; theft of property worth less than $20<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 75px;text-align: center\">Maximum fine $500<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 75px;text-align: center\">Justice of the Peace or Municipal Courts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/section><\/section>&nbsp;\r\n<h1>Selection of Judges<\/h1>\r\nThere are three basic methods used to select judges in the United States: appointment, election, and merit selection. Merit selection is also referred to as the <strong>Missouri Plan<\/strong>, named after the first state that adopted the method. Texas elects judges (except at some of the municipal levels) in a partisan election, as it does with other government offices, and the table below depicts the specifics for each level of court.[footnote]http:\/\/courts.state.tx.us\/[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_168\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"653\"]<img class=\"wp-image-168 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/690\/2017\/01\/19162636\/SelectionJudges.png\" width=\"653\" height=\"885\" \/> Selection and Qualification of Texas Judges[\/caption]","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<p>By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"im_orderedlist\">\n<li>Discuss the different types of jurisdiction<\/li>\n<li>Discuss the different types of law<\/li>\n<li>Describe the selection process, and qualifications, for Texas Judges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"fs-idp225728592\">\n<section id=\"fs-idp225728592\">\n<h1>Types of Jurisdictions<\/h1>\n<p>Every court system has jurisdiction over certain cases, from enforcing traffic laws to hearing capital murder charges. There are four types of jurisdictions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Original Jurisdiction<\/strong>&#8211; the court that gets to hear the case first. For example, Municipal courts typically have original jurisdiction over traffic offenses the occur within city limits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Appellate Jurisdiction<\/strong>&#8211; the power for a higher court to review a lower court&#8217;s decision. For example, the Texas Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over the District Courts (See the hierarchy of Texas Court Structure in this Unit).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exclusive Jurisdiction<\/strong>&#8211; only that court can hear a specific case. For example, only the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Court can hear appeals for death penalty sentences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concurrent Jurisdiction<\/strong>&#8211; multiple courts share the jurisdiction. For example, a civil dispute over $200 can be heard in a Texas District Court or Texas County Court.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h1>Types of Law<\/h1>\n<p>There are two basic types of law in any legal system- Civil and Criminal. Below is a table differentiating the two:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-158 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/690\/2017\/01\/13185642\/Law_Lumen1.png\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">There are two types of crime: misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors are considered minor crimes, and felonies are defined as major crimes.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Texas Penal Code http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/?link=PE\" id=\"return-footnote-82-1\" href=\"#footnote-82-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 613px;width: 715px; width: 678px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 15px\">\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 489px;height: 15px\"><strong>Offense<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 110px;height: 15px\"><strong>Punishment<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 82px;height: 15px\"><strong>Court<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px;text-align: left\"><strong>Capital Murder (Capital Felony)<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Murder of a law enforcement official, prison guard, or firefighter on duty; commits murder with other types of felonies; murder for hire; mass murder; murder of someone under the age of 10<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 110px;height: 60px\">\u00a0Life or Death Penalty<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 82px;height: 60px\">District Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>First degree felony<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Murder; theft of property worth over $200,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">5-99 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">District Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Second degree felony<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Manslaughter; theft of property worth between $100,000-200,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">2-20 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0District Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"text-align: left;width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Third degree felony<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Impersonating someone online; theft of property worth $20,000-100,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">2-10\u00a0 years in prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">District Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>State jail felony<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Possession of 4 ounces to 1lb of marijuana; theft of property worth $15,000-20,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0180 days-2 years on prison, maximum fine of $10,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a0District Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Class A Misdemeanor<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Resisting arrests; theft of property worth $500-1,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">\u00a01 year in prison, maximum fine of $4,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">County Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 60px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 60px\"><strong>Class B Misdemeanor<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Terroristic threat; theft of property worth $20-500<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">180 days in prison, maximum fine of $2,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 60px;text-align: center\">County Court<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 75px\">\n<td style=\"width: 489px;height: 75px;text-align: left\"><strong>Class C Misdemeanor<\/strong>&#8211; Examples: Sexting with someone 17 or younger; theft of property worth less than $20<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 110px;height: 75px;text-align: center\">Maximum fine $500<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82px;height: 75px;text-align: center\">Justice of the Peace or Municipal Courts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Selection of Judges<\/h1>\n<p>There are three basic methods used to select judges in the United States: appointment, election, and merit selection. Merit selection is also referred to as the <strong>Missouri Plan<\/strong>, named after the first state that adopted the method. Texas elects judges (except at some of the municipal levels) in a partisan election, as it does with other government offices, and the table below depicts the specifics for each level of court.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"http:\/\/courts.state.tx.us\/\" id=\"return-footnote-82-2\" href=\"#footnote-82-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_168\" style=\"width: 663px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-168\" class=\"wp-image-168 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/690\/2017\/01\/19162636\/SelectionJudges.png\" width=\"653\" height=\"885\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selection and Qualification of Texas Judges<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-82\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Jurisdiction, Types of Law, and the Selection of Judges. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Daniel M. Regalado. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-82-1\">Texas Penal Code http:\/\/www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us\/?link=PE <a href=\"#return-footnote-82-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-82-2\">http:\/\/courts.state.tx.us\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-82-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2564,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Jurisdiction, Types of Law, and the Selection of Judges\",\"author\":\"Daniel M. 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