Which term describes the general jurisdiction of the federal trial courts?

• A. General jurisdiction
• B. Subpoena
• C. Court of record
• D. Writ of certiorari

Answer: (A)

The concept here is how we describe a court’s authority to hear different kinds of cases. General jurisdiction is the term used for broad authority to handle a wide variety of matters, not limited to a specific subject or type of case. The other terms refer to different ideas: a subpoena is a court order to appear or produce evidence, a court of record is a court whose proceedings are officially recorded, and a writ of certiorari is a higher court’s order to review a decision. Since the question asks for the term that describes the broad, general authority of trial courts, general jurisdiction is the best fit.