State Executive Branch

1. State Executive Branch 45 NC Governor Mike Easley Source: http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/capitol/exec/govpic.jpg State Legislative Branch Image from General Assembly Opening Session Source: http://www.ncrma.org/_borders/pictur5.jpg State Judicial Branch Source: http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/data/GASTON/FrontCtH.gif The federal system of our government allows for separate National, State, and Local governments. The State Executive Branch is led by the Governor who serves a 4 year term. Judges in the NC State Courts are elected to their positions. The General Assembly is the legislature of North Carolina. One difficulty in the State Judicial system is the sheer number of cases in dispute. The lowest level of the State court system is the district or county court level. The state government provides many services to its citizens. The State government spends billions of dollars in its budget every year.

2. County Government 46 Source: http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/county/nc_county_index.gif City Government Source: http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/images/citstate.GIF Local Expenditures Source: http://www.rollingrequiem.org/images/schools.gif A Mayor is the elected executive leader of a town or city while a manager is a hired professional executive. Local Governments spend most of their revenue on services to citizens. Local laws are called ordinances or blue laws---in some communities alcohol is not served on Sundays- Schooling is the most expensive thing that local governments do. Cities receive their powers through charters and offer even more services than county government to residents. Many cities were once small places that grew larger through the process of annexation. Often taken for granted, water purification is an essential service of many local gov’ts. Fire Protection is one of many services offered by local governments.

3. Public Planning 47 Zoning Map of Cary, NC Source: http://www.townofcary.org/depts/midept/gis/zoning.jpg Social Problems Source: http://www.danvilleboylechamber.com/images/illus/crime.jpg Environmental Problems Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/furniture/in_depth/world/2002/disposable_planet/waste/burn/landfill150.jpg A major role of state and local government is the establishment of rules regarding permits and licenses to engage in certain activities. In recent years, the environment and pollution have become major issues to citizens. The planning or zoning boards of local communities help to plan future growth. Some services such as water treatment, waste management, or sewers require long term commitments. The building of new schools and educational testing have also become major news stories. One of the best ways to improve your community is to participate in volunteer activities. The placement of new landfills have often created heated local debates.

4. Source of Our Laws 48 United States Constitution Source: http://www.thisnation.com/media/photos/constitution.jpg Criminal Law Source: http://www.ci.norman.ok.us/court/images/scales.gif Civil Law Source: http://images.ibsys.com/2001/0110/412584.jpg Prohibition tried to ban alcohol in the US but proved to be unenforceable and was later repealed. Family Court is one type of Civil Law and deals with cases like divorce and adoption. --- --- The Magna Carta was a document signed by English King John in 1215. It gave the nobles certain rights that even the King could not violate. King Hammurabi of ancient Babylonia tried to have all the laws written and placed in public for all to see. The Declaration of Human Rights passed in 1948 is an example of International Law. The Declaration of Independence stated the reason for government in America.

5. Right to an Attorney 49 Source: http://www.hahira.ga.us/attorney.gif Jury Trial Source: http://www.trial.com/images/expert7.jpg Right to an Appeal Source: http://www.ejm.lsc.gov/voices/iolta02.jpg The right to appeal one’s case is a fundamental right of fairness. The use of the media to influence opinion about a trial disrupts the judicial process. The right to have an attorney’s assistance in a trial is guaranteed by the 6th Amendment. The 6th Amendment guarantees everyone the right to a trial. Once a person has been acquitted by a jury, the protection from Double Jeopardy prevents the person from another trial. The Right to remain silent protects one from being forced to testify against yourself. If accused of a crime, we have a right to hear all evidence against us. In our legal system, even terrorists are given legal rights.

6. Lawsuits 50 Source: http://www.crowemulvey.com/pics/statu.gif Crimes Against People Source: http://www.uga.edu/safeandsecure/images/assault.gif Criminal Penalties Source: http://www.schr.org/hardtime/images/6500m.jpg A person has right to a jury trial of his peers who have not been influenced. Murder is one of the most serious crimes and can be punished by death. Property crimes are among the most common crimes. Civil Law involves a dispute between several people. Another problem in our legal system is the amount of lawsuits being filed for sometimes trivial reasons. All types of crimes against people carry greater penalties than property crimes. The extreme backlog of cases makes civil and criminal cases drag on for an extended time. Because of overcrowded prisons, many places use parole and plea bargaining to reduce the public burden.

7. Criminal Court Procedures 51 Source: http://images.freeadvice.com/images/content_images/arrested.gif Jury Trials Source: http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/about/procedur/images/verdict1.jpg Juvenile Court System Source: http://www.hamilton-co.org/juvenilecourt/Juvenile_Court_Images/jc.gif The judicial system is adversarial---which means the prosecution and the defense are opponents and work to prove different points. The high profile of some defendants turn trials into media spectacles. When juveniles are arrested they are processed and usually released to their parents. Juveniles have their own separate judicial system. A jury that can not make a unanimous decision is called a hung jury---A mistrial is the result. The cases of adults can be witnessed by the public and media, while the juvenile system is not public record. The Jury system guaranteed by the 6th Amendment only applies to the adult system. Juveniles are handled in a more private setting by a judge.