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202 CHAPTER 6 %u2022 The Federal Judiciary6.4 Judicial Decision-making and Checks%u00a0on the Judicial BranchSupreme Court justices are not elected by the people but are appointed for life, removable only through impeachment. In striking down state or federal laws through judicial review, a small group of unelected justices can overturn acts passed by representatives 6.3 Describe how the federal judiciary is organized.REMEMBER %u2022 There are two levels of courts in the United States, federal and state.%u2022 Most cases are resolved at the state court level.%u2022 In a criminal case, a prosecutor brings a case against a defendant for wrongdoing in the community.%u2022 Civil cases involve a private action brought by a plaintiff against a defendant for violating a person%u2019s rights or breaking an agreement.%u2022 The federal judiciary is organized into three levels: federal district courts, the federal courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court.%u2022 Majority opinions serve as precedent for future cases.KNOW %u2022 federal district courts: the lowest level of the federal judiciary; these courts usually have original jurisdiction in cases that start at the federal level. (p.%u00a0197)%u2022 federal courts of appeals: the middle level of the federal judiciary; these%u00a0courts review and hear appeals from the federal district courts. (p.%u00a0197)%u2022 precedent: a judicial decision that guides future courts in handling similar cases. (p. 200)%u2022 stare decisis: letting a previous decision stand. (p. 200)%u2022 majority opinion: a binding Supreme Court opinion, which serves as precedent for future cases. (p. 201)%u2022 concurring opinion: an opinion that agrees with the majority decision but offers different or additional reasoning and does not serve as precedent. (p.%u00a0201)%u2022 dissenting opinion: an opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion and does not serve as precedent. (p. 201)THINK %u2022 Why does having separate state and federal courts lead to conflicts under our system of federalism?%u2022 Should the Supreme Court hear a larger number of appeals? Why or why%u00a0not?6.3 Concept ApplicationFor more than 90 years, the Supreme Court has had very wide discretion to control%u00a0its own workload, allowing it to shape the development of the Constitution%u00a0and American law at its own pace. . . . During all of those decades since, and still today, it has not been true that anyone had a guaranteed right to have their case decided by the nation%u2019s highest tribunal. And the baffling part . . . is that, most of the time, the Court simply does not explain why it refuses to hear this case or that.%u2014Lyle Denniston, %u201cConstitution Check: Why Does the Supreme Court Refuse to Hear Some Big Cases?%u201d Constitution Daily, October 4, 2016After reading the scenario, please respond to A, B, and C below.A. Describe the issue discussed in the scenario.B. In the context of the scenario, explain why the Supreme Court has the power to determine which cases it decides to accept.C. Explain why the Supreme Court might decide to accept a case.Section Review%u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.