AAERT PRACTICE TEST
ACTION - Answer- a lawsuit
ADVERSE WITNESS - Answer- a witness whose testimony is prejudicial to the case of
the party who called him
AFFIDAVIT - Answer- written statement of facts made under oath
AFFIANT - Answer- signs an affidavit
AFFIRM - Answer- to declare solemnly and formally
AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Answer- considerations which increase a
sentence imposed
MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Answer- considerations which decrease a sentence
imposed
ALLOCUTION - Answer- formal statement by convicted defendant as to whether there
is any reason why judgment should not be rendered against him
AMENDMENT - Answer- change/correction
ANSWER - Answer- response by defendant denying plaintiff's complaint
ARBITRATION - Answer- dispute mediation by impartial 3rd party
ARRAIGNMENT - Answer- bringing an accused person to court to plead a criminal
charge
ARREST - Answer- restraint and detention of a person suspected of a crime
BAIL - Answer- amount of money deposited as form of collateral to guarantee that a
person charged with a crime will appear in court when scheduled
BENCH CONFERENCE - Answer- a discussion between attorneys and the judge
outside the hearing of courtroom
BENCH WARRANT - Answer- authority to find and to bring into court someone who has
failed to appear
BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT - Answer- standard for conviction in a criminal trial
PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE - Answer- standard for winning a civil matter
,BIRFUCATION - Answer- trial of certain issues separately
BLACK LETTER LAW - Answer- basic principles of law
BLACKS LAW DICTIONARY - Answer- standard legal reference work
BRIEFS - Answer- papers submitted by attorneys
BURDEN OF PROOF - Answer- obligation to provide affirmative proof on an issue
STANDARD OF EVIDENCE - Answer- how much evidence (or what type) is needed to
bear that burden
CALENDAR - Answer- court schedule
CASE IN CHIEF - Answer- primary presentation of evidence by a party
CASE LAW - Answer- printed decisions and opinions of appellate jurisdictions
CAUSE OF ACTION - Answer- situations causing a lawsuit
WRIT OF CERTIORARI - Answer- appellate court order granting a hearing to an
appellant
CHAIN OF CUSTODY - Answer- record showing proper maintenance of real evidence
CHALLENGE - Answer- objection to having someone serve as a juror
CHAMBERS - Answer- judges office within a court house
CHARGE TO THE JURY - Answer- instructions from the judge concerning the law
which governs a case
CHATTEL - Answer- an article of personal or movable property
CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL - Answer- federal appellate level immediately below the
Supreme Court
CLASS ACTION - Answer- suit joined in by a group of people who share a common
interest in matter
CLOSING STATEMENT - Answer- attorneys final statement
CLOUD ON TITLE - Answer- claim or lien which impairs an owners otherwise free right
to use property
, QUIET TITLE - Answer- remove a claim or lien
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS - Answer- federal regulatory agency rules and
regulations which implement federal law
COLLATERAL ESTOPPEL - Answer- a bar to re litigating an issue already been tried
between the same parties
COLLOQUY - Answer- any formal conference, conversation or discussion
COMMON LAW - Answer- customary law
COMPLAINT - Answer- plaintiff's initial pleading which a defendant initially answers
CONCURRENT SENTENCES - Answer- 2 or more sentences served at the same time
CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Answer- conflict between the private interests an public
obligations
CONFRONT ACCUSERS - Answer- right of a person accused of a crime to face those
making accusations
CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES - Answer- 2 or more sentences which must be served
one after the other
CONTEMPT - Answer- willfully disobeying a court order
COUNTER CLAIM - Answer- defendant's claim against plaintiff
COURT MINUTES - Answer- summary record of events in a case
CROSS EXAMINATION - Answer- questions by an opposing party after the side calling
the witness has examined
DEADLOCKED - Answer- jury is unable to agree on a verdict
DECLARANT - Answer- having an interest in a matter who makes an unsworn
statement
DECLARATION - Answer- unsworn statement by one having interest in a matter
DEFENDANT - Answer- person of whom a lawsuit is filed
DEMURRER - Answer- assertion by a defendant that they do not entitle the plaintiff to
prevail
ACTION - Answer- a lawsuit
ADVERSE WITNESS - Answer- a witness whose testimony is prejudicial to the case of
the party who called him
AFFIDAVIT - Answer- written statement of facts made under oath
AFFIANT - Answer- signs an affidavit
AFFIRM - Answer- to declare solemnly and formally
AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Answer- considerations which increase a
sentence imposed
MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Answer- considerations which decrease a sentence
imposed
ALLOCUTION - Answer- formal statement by convicted defendant as to whether there
is any reason why judgment should not be rendered against him
AMENDMENT - Answer- change/correction
ANSWER - Answer- response by defendant denying plaintiff's complaint
ARBITRATION - Answer- dispute mediation by impartial 3rd party
ARRAIGNMENT - Answer- bringing an accused person to court to plead a criminal
charge
ARREST - Answer- restraint and detention of a person suspected of a crime
BAIL - Answer- amount of money deposited as form of collateral to guarantee that a
person charged with a crime will appear in court when scheduled
BENCH CONFERENCE - Answer- a discussion between attorneys and the judge
outside the hearing of courtroom
BENCH WARRANT - Answer- authority to find and to bring into court someone who has
failed to appear
BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT - Answer- standard for conviction in a criminal trial
PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE - Answer- standard for winning a civil matter
,BIRFUCATION - Answer- trial of certain issues separately
BLACK LETTER LAW - Answer- basic principles of law
BLACKS LAW DICTIONARY - Answer- standard legal reference work
BRIEFS - Answer- papers submitted by attorneys
BURDEN OF PROOF - Answer- obligation to provide affirmative proof on an issue
STANDARD OF EVIDENCE - Answer- how much evidence (or what type) is needed to
bear that burden
CALENDAR - Answer- court schedule
CASE IN CHIEF - Answer- primary presentation of evidence by a party
CASE LAW - Answer- printed decisions and opinions of appellate jurisdictions
CAUSE OF ACTION - Answer- situations causing a lawsuit
WRIT OF CERTIORARI - Answer- appellate court order granting a hearing to an
appellant
CHAIN OF CUSTODY - Answer- record showing proper maintenance of real evidence
CHALLENGE - Answer- objection to having someone serve as a juror
CHAMBERS - Answer- judges office within a court house
CHARGE TO THE JURY - Answer- instructions from the judge concerning the law
which governs a case
CHATTEL - Answer- an article of personal or movable property
CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL - Answer- federal appellate level immediately below the
Supreme Court
CLASS ACTION - Answer- suit joined in by a group of people who share a common
interest in matter
CLOSING STATEMENT - Answer- attorneys final statement
CLOUD ON TITLE - Answer- claim or lien which impairs an owners otherwise free right
to use property
, QUIET TITLE - Answer- remove a claim or lien
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS - Answer- federal regulatory agency rules and
regulations which implement federal law
COLLATERAL ESTOPPEL - Answer- a bar to re litigating an issue already been tried
between the same parties
COLLOQUY - Answer- any formal conference, conversation or discussion
COMMON LAW - Answer- customary law
COMPLAINT - Answer- plaintiff's initial pleading which a defendant initially answers
CONCURRENT SENTENCES - Answer- 2 or more sentences served at the same time
CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Answer- conflict between the private interests an public
obligations
CONFRONT ACCUSERS - Answer- right of a person accused of a crime to face those
making accusations
CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES - Answer- 2 or more sentences which must be served
one after the other
CONTEMPT - Answer- willfully disobeying a court order
COUNTER CLAIM - Answer- defendant's claim against plaintiff
COURT MINUTES - Answer- summary record of events in a case
CROSS EXAMINATION - Answer- questions by an opposing party after the side calling
the witness has examined
DEADLOCKED - Answer- jury is unable to agree on a verdict
DECLARANT - Answer- having an interest in a matter who makes an unsworn
statement
DECLARATION - Answer- unsworn statement by one having interest in a matter
DEFENDANT - Answer- person of whom a lawsuit is filed
DEMURRER - Answer- assertion by a defendant that they do not entitle the plaintiff to
prevail
