$\frac{}{S}UM$ MARY

Courts have been created to hear and resolve legal dis$-$

putes. A court's specific power is defined by its juris$-$

diction. Courts of original jurisdiction are trial courts,

and courts that review the decisions of trial courts are

appellate courts. Trial courts may have general jurisdic$-$

tion to hear a wide range of civil and criminal matters,

or they may be courts of limited jurisdiction$--$such as

a probate court or the Tax Court $-$ with the subject

matter of their cases restricted to certain areas.

The courts in the United States are organized into

two different systems: the state and federal court sys$-$

tems. There are three levels of courts, for the most

part, in each system, with trial courts, appellate courts,

and a supreme court in each. The federal courts are

federal district courts, federal courts of appeals, and

the U$.$S$.$ Supreme Court. In the states, there may be

specialized courts, such as municipal, justice, and small

claims courts, for trial courts. Within the courts of

original jurisdiction, there are rules for procedures in

all matters brought before them. A civil case begins

with the filing of a complaint by a plaintiff, which is

then answered by a defendant. The parties may be rep$-$

resented by their attorneys. Discovery is the pretrial

process used by the parties to find out the evidence in

the case. The parties can use depositions, interroga$-$

tories, and document requests to uncover relevant

information.

The case is managed by a judge and may be tried

to a jury selected through the process of voir dire, with

the parties permitted to challenge jurors on the basis of

cause or through the use of their peremptory chal$-$

lenges. The trial begins following discovery and

involves opening statements and the presentation of

evidence, including the direct examination and cross$-$

examination of witnesses. Once a judgment is entered,

the party who has won can collect the judgment

through garnishment and a writ of execution.

Alternatives to litigation for dispute resolution are

available, including arbitration, mediation, MedArb,

reference to a third party, association tribunals, sum$-$

mary jury trials, rent$-$a$-$judge plans, minitrials, and the

use of ombudsmen. Court dockets are relieved and

cases consolidated using judicial triage, a process in

which courts hear the cases involving the most serious

medical issues and health conditions first. Triage is a

blending of the judicial and alternative dispute resolu$-$

tion mechanisms. BASED on the text above answer three question. $1.$ List the steps in a lawsuit. Begin with the fling of the complaint, and explain the points at which there can be a final determination of the parties' rights in the case. $2.$ What is the difference between mediation and arbitra$-$tion? $3.$ Jerry Lewinsky was called for jury duty. When voir dire began, Jerry realized that the case involved his supervisor at work. Can Jerry remain as a juror on the case?$$Why or why not?