Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

9.1 Describe the history of the courts

9.2 Identify the different types of courts and the types of cases they hear

9.3 Distinguish among federal, state, and local courts

9.4 Outline the process by which the Supreme Court hears a case

9.5 Describe how lower courts are arranged and their relationships

9.6 Explain the many actors in a courtroom, called the courtroom workgroup, and how they interact with each other

9.7 Explain the influences of technology on increased efficiencies in court processes