The California Judiciary
Response to the following multiple choice questions:
1. Superior Courts in California adjudicate
a. civil and criminal cases. b . only criminal cases. c. only civil cases. d. appeals only.
2. California's courts of first instance are more commonly known as
a. appellate courts. b. intermediate courts of appeal. c . superior courts. d. district courts.
3. The busiest courts in California are
a. the administrative courts. c. the appellate courts. b. the superior courts. d. the impeachment courts.
4. What is the function of California's appellate courts?
a. answer questions raised about the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution
b. review trial or superior court records for error
c. review judicial appointments made to the superior courts
d. issue decisions that relate to the Assembly and the Senate
5. In California, what court has judicial discretion?
a. traffic courts b. courts of appeal c. superior courts d. supreme court
6. How many superior courts are located in California?
a. 58 c. 126 b. 98 d. 187
7. The California Supreme Court rules on a variety of issues. Kleffman v. Vonage Holdings Corp. is one such example in which the state supreme court unanimously ruled that
a. all criminal defendants have a right to counsel.
b. same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in California.
c. unsolicited emails violate provisions of the California state code.
d. justices running in retention elections are prohibited from soliciting campaign donations.
8. How many judges serve on the California Supreme Court?
a. 3 c. 7 b. 5 d. 9
9. Jurisdiction refers to
a. the power of the governor to overturn decisions made by the California Supreme Court.
b. the kind of law the court handles and the geographic location.
c. the ability of the Assembly to withhold a bill before a vote within the chamber.
d. the ability of the Senate to withhold a bill before a vote within the chamber.
10. In California, Proposition 215
a. mandates that all instructions in K-12 classrooms be conducted in English.
b. bans educational, social, and medical services for people that are not legal residents.
c. provides for medical use of marijuana.
d. banned same-sex marriage.
11. Why did Proposition 215 conflict with federal law?
a. Federal law requires that emergency services cannot be denied to illegal immigrants.
b. Federal law permits marijuana to be distributed and sold in the District of Columbia.
c. Federal law mandates that for states to receive federal highway funds that the drinking age within that state must be 21.
d. Federal law classifies marijuana as a controlled substance and makes its cultivation, possession, sale, and consumption illegal.
12. How did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in Gonzales v. Raich (2005)?
a. The Supreme Court ruled that California's term limits for members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is unconstitutional because the U.S. Constitution overrides state laws.
b. The Supreme Court ruled that California's law that denies educational, social, and medical services to illegal immigrants is unconstitutional because the law conflicts with federal powers.
c. The Supreme Court ruled that California's Compassionate Use Act (CUA) is legal because the activity involves intrastate commerce, thereby not warranting federal intervention.
d. The Supreme Court ruled that the commerce power gives Congress the authority to regulate and to punish the manufacture and cultivation of marijuana despite California law that allows for compassionate use.
13. Judges selected by the governor to serve on the supreme court and the court of appeals in California must be approved by the
a. state legislature. b. attorney general.
c. commission on judicial appointments. d. speaker of the assembly.
14. The Commission on Judicial Appointments consists of
a. a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, and the attorney general.
b. the governor, the attorney general, a lawyer, and a member of the supreme court.
c. a member of the supreme court, a lawyer, and a presiding judge on a superior court.
d. the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, the attorney general, and a presiding judge from the court of appeals.
15. How many women serve on the California Supreme Court?
a. none c. four b. three d. six
16. Who is the current chief justice of the California Supreme Court?
a. Ronald George c. Carol Corrigan
b. TaniGorreCantil-Sakauye d. Goodwin Liu
17. In recent years, campaign spending in judicial elections has
a. increased. c. remained the same. b. decreased. d. become impossible to determine.
18. Chief Justice Rose Bird and Associate Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin were voted out by voters who were angry about their decisions dealing with
a. same-sex marriage. c. Proposition 13.
b. the death penalty. d. term limits.
19. Which of the following reasons are given by people who argue that judicial elections are the best method of selection for judges?
a. Judicial elections allow judges to have greater independence.
b. Judicial elections insulate judges from politics.
c. Judicial elections allow citizens to hold judges accountable.
d. Judicial elections are the least expensive method for selecting judges.
20. The largest financial contributions to most judicial races come from
a. attorneys. c. prison guards.
b. firemen and police officers. d. teachers.
21. What is significant concerning Judges Rose Bird, Cruz Reynoso, and Joseph Grodin?
a. All three were appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
b. They are the only judges in California's history to serve as the attorney general and supreme court judges.
c. All three served on the California Supreme Court and were removed from the bench by the voters in 1996.
d. They were the first non-lawyers to be elected to the California Supreme Court in 1986.
22. Which U.S. Supreme Court justice has been a vocal critic of state judicial elections?
a. Sonia Sotomayor c. Carol Corrigan
b. Sandra Day O'Connor d. John Roberts
23. One method of removing judges in the state of California is
a. removal by the governor. b. censure by the state legislature.
c. agreement between the speaker of the assembly and the attorney general. d. a recall election.
24. Judges in California may be impeached by the state Assembly and convicted by
a. an executive order signed by the governor. b. a writ issued by the chief justice of the California Supreme Court.
c. voter approval in a special election. d. a two-thirds majority of the state Senate.
25. Most criminal cases in California are resolved through
a. plea bargaining. b. appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. c. incarceration. d. clemency granted by the governor.