Creating new laws is how government responds to specific issues or changes in society. It allows elected representatives to shape public policy based on the needs and priorities of their constituents, while also demonstrating accountability through the process. New laws are often created through a legislative committee system that allows for detailed analysis, discussion and modification of bills before they reach the full chamber for voting. This system can also help prevent political polarization from having a negative impact on the creation of new laws.
citation: A summons that tells a defendant to go to court and tells them what the charges are in their case. Lawyers cite cases to show that other judges have decided similar things to support their arguments in a case.
criminal law: The rules of a state or country about crimes, punishment and rights of citizens.
common law: 1. Laws that come from court decisions, not statutes (“codes”) or constitutions. 2. The body of law that began in England on where U.S. law came from.
judicial review: The ability for the Supreme Court or a lower court to review the decision of another judge in a case.
veto power: The right of the President to reject legislation passed by Congress and require a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Congress to override.
State & Local Law News is published quarterly and features articles about current developments in state and local law of interest to local government lawyers.
docket number: A group of numbers and letters that identifies a court case. The first two numbers show the year that the case was filed, the third character* shows the county and the last six digits are the unique case number.