Civics Today: Citizenship, Economics, & You

Chapter 16: Civil and Criminal Law

Web Activity Lesson Plans

Introduction
In this chapter students read about civil and criminal cases. Sometimes these cases reach a trial court where guilt or innocence may be determined. Depending on the jurisdiction, it will be either a state or a federal court. Each state has its own court system. In this activity students will take a closer look at the organization and role of the court system.

Lesson Description
Students will visit a Web site of judicial branch resources for students maintained by the state of Iowa. They will read through the information on different court systems, answer questions, and create a mobile that shows the different levels of the state and federal courts.

1. The student will be able to describe the functions of a trial court.
2. The student will be able to describe the function of an appellate court.
3. The student will be able to create a mobile that shows the different levels of state and federal courts.

1. State courts handle about 95 percent of court cases.
2. The difference between a trial court and an appellate court is that trial courts hear original cases, while appellate courts hear only cases that are appealed.
3. Only about 10 percent of civil and criminal cases actually go to trial. The reason for this low percentage is that most parties involved in a civil or domestic case settle the dispute before trial, and many criminal defendants enter a guilty plea before trial.
4. A party involved in a civil case or a defendant in a criminal case takes their case to an appellate court if they do not agree with the decision of the trial court. An appellate court is composed of a panel of judges (usually three to five), and there is no presentation of witnesses or physical evidence. The case is decided by a majority decision of the appellate judges.
5. Students' mobiles will vary.