Deck 3: The Criminal Justice System

Question 1

The criminal justice system is designed to control and prevent crime.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Relatively few offenders break federal criminal laws compared to the large numbers who break state criminal laws.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Defendants who win appeals typically go free.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In the United States, the law may be interpreted differently in various states.

Question 5

Congress has refused to expand the powers of the FBI.

Question 6

Federalism divides power between the central (national)government and regional (state)governments.

Question 7

Congress and President George W. Bush sought to increase the government's effectiveness by creating new federal agencies.

Question 8

At all levels of the justice process, there is a high degree of discretion employed by decision makers.

Question 9

When the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788-1789, it contained few references to criminal justice.

Question 10

Most criminal laws are written by state legislatures and enforced by state agencies.

Question 11

Plea bargaining is an example of an exchange relationship in the criminal justice system.

Question 12

The U.S. Constitution explicitly includes criminal justice among the powers of the federal government.

Question 13

Criminal justice is a system of parts-police, courts, corrections-that do not affect each other.

Question 14

Citizens and their actions can prevent crime.

Question 15

Because police usually observe the crimes that occur, they are at an advantage in quickly arresting offenders.

Question 16

In the American criminal justice system, most cases proceed all the way to trial.

Question 17

More than half of the convicted offenders are supervised in the community.

Question 18

Criminal justice agencies are not dependent on others for funding.

Question 19

Criminal justice in the United States is highly decentralized.

Question 20

Decisions made within the system of criminal justice should not have to reflect important public values.

Question 21

Celebrated cases that are highly scrutinized, have jury trials and the lengthy detailed appeals are typically found at Layer 1 of the criminal justice wedding cake. .

Question 22

Which of the following occurs at the initial appearance?

A)The suspect is fingerprinted.
B)The suspect is notified of the official charges against him or her.
C)The judge decides whether probable cause exists.
D)The suspect enters his or her plea.

Question 23

Doing justice is not a goal of criminal justice.

Question 24

The authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, using instead one's own judgment is referred to as

A)exchange.
B)interchange
C)system transfer.
D)discretion.

Question 25

At the federal level, drug offenses are the most common violation of the criminal law.

Question 26

Minority groups suffer greatly from poverty.

Question 27

Layer 4 of t he criminal justice wedding cake model consists of misdemeanors.

Question 28

Which of the following is not a characteristic of practitioners in the criminal justice system?

A)Discretion
B)Resource dependence
C)Filtering
D)Complete independence of actors

Question 29

Layer 2 of t he criminal justice wedding cake model consists of violent crimes.

Question 30

Police are responsible for adjudication.

Question 31

In the American criminal justice system, all cases undergo the same process and receive equal attention.

Question 32

Which of the following statements best explains the goals of the criminal justice system?

A)The actions of citizens taking simple precautions cannot prevent crime.
B)Efforts to control crime allow police to go beyond the law.
C)Decisions must be made that reflect the legal, social, political, and moral values of society.
D)Having an equal system of justice for all the members of society .

Question 33

A key concept in the criminal justice process involving the mutual transfer of resources among individual actors is called

A)exchange.
B)process distribution.
C)system transfers.
D)discretion.

Question 34

Minorities are subjected to much higher rates of incarceration than the white majority.

Question 35

Prisons, jails, and other corrections facilities and programs are administered by which level of government ?

A)Federal government
B)State governments
C)City governments
D)Federal, state, and city governments

Question 36

There is no evidence of racism in the way society asks the criminal justice system to operate.

Question 37

Which is true concerning the criminal justice system and the U.S. Constitution?

A)The U.S. Constitution does not discuss the criminal justice system specifically.
B)The U.S. Constitution dictates how state agencies should be run.
C)The U.S. Constitution created the state police agencies.
D)The U.S. Constitution created the federal law enforcement agencies.

Question 38

The concept of dividing power between the central (national)government and regional (state)governments is called

A)confederacy.
B)federalism.
C)constitutionality.
D)political system.

Question 39

According to Cole and Smith, which of the following is not a goal of the criminal justice system?

A)Doing justice
B)Controlling crime
C)Preventing crime
D)Pushing crime offshore

Question 40

Discretion is not a characteristic of the criminal justice system.

Question 41

A court order issued by a judge authorizing police officers to make arrests or search premises is called a(n)

A)arrest.
B)warrant.
C)true bill.
D)booking.

Question 42

Compared to whites, African Americans and Hispanics are drawn into the criminal justice system at a

A)slightly lower rate.
B)slightly higher rate.
C)similar rate.
D)much higher rate.

Question 43

The United States has a ______ system.

A)dual-court
B)triple-court
C)one-court
D)quadruple-court

Question 44

The State of Michigan v. Christopher Jones illustrated

A)the importance of selecting open-minded jurors.
B)the difficulties of proving guilt in a rape case.
C)the prosecutor's use of multiple charges to pressure defendants to plead guilty.
D)that circumstantial evidence cannot be used to convict an offender.

Question 45

The criminal justice "wedding cake" layers reflect differences in how crimes are prioritized. Based on these priorities, which statement best reflects a summary of these layers?

A)All cases are basically the same.
B)Very few cases are plea bargained.
C)Different cases receive different kinds of treatment.
D)Celebrated cases are no different than other cases.

Question 46

According to Cole and Smith, which of the following is not an explanation for the racial and ethnic disparities that exist within the criminal justice system?

A)Minorities commit more crimes.
B)The criminal justice system is racist.
C)America is a racist society.
D)None of these.  All of the above can explain the disparities.

Question 47

Which layer of the criminal justice "wedding cake" consists of misdemeanors?

A)4
B)3
C)2
D)1

Question 48

Which layer of the criminal justice "wedding cake" reflects the priorities of how the criminal justice system deals with felonies of "lesser concern"?

A)4
B)3
C)2
D)1

Question 49

The determination of whether or not a defendant is guilty is called

A)adjudication.
B)indictment.
C)booking.
D)information.

Question 50

When we say that crime in American is "intra-racial," we mean that

A)victims and offenders tend to be of different racial groups.
B)victims and offenders tend to be of the same racial group.
C)race does not play a part in who is the victim and who is the offender.
D)racial differences can only be discovered using intra-group analysis.

Question 51

One-third of all persons arrested by the police are members of which minority group?

A)African Americans
B)Native Americans
C)Hispanics
D)Caucasians

Question 52

Federal sentencing guidelines punish users of crack cocaine about 100 times more harshly than users of powder cocaine. This fact reflects which of the textbook's explanations for racial disparities?

A)Racial insensitivity and unequal treatment in society can shape criminal justice policy.
B)Crack cocaine is more harmful to society than powder cocaine.
C)Few people are arrested for using powder cocaine.
D)The effects of powder cocaine are not as strong as those of crack cocaine.

Question 53

When a person is physically taken into custody, this is called a(n)

A)warrant.
B)arrest.
C)indictment.
D)information.

Question 54

How much greater is the per capita incarceration rate for African Americans as compared to whites?

A)Twice as great
B)Three times as great
C)Five times as great
D)Seven times as great

Question 55

Most defendants whose charges are not dropped ultimately

A)go to trial.
B)plead guilty.
C)serve long prison sentences.
D)are not guilty by reason insanity.

Question 56

Which layer of the criminal justice "wedding cake" involves celebrated cases resulting in a jury trial that are highly unusual with great public attention?

A)4
B)3
C)2
D)1

Question 57

A "true bill" coming from a grand jury and charging a suspect with a specific crime is called a(n)

A)information.
B)warrant.
C)indictment.
D)booking.

Question 58

The person who is the "key link between the police and the courts" because s/he considers the facts of the case and decides whether there is probable cause to believe an offense was committed is the

A)judge.
B)defense attorney.
C)parole officer.
D)prosecutor.

Question 59

Which layer of the criminal justice "wedding cake" consists of serious felonies?

A)4
B)3
C)2
D)1

Question 60

The inequality of treatment of one group by the criminal justice system, compared with the treatment accorded other groups, is called

A)federalism.
B)crime.
C)disparity.
D)due process.

Question 61

To achieve the goals of criminal justice, many kinds of organizations-such as police, prosecution, _______, and corrections-have been formed.

A)courts
B)defense
C)bail bonds
D)magistrate

Question 62

Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after attending his close friend's bachelor party.  This is his first encounter with the criminal justice system.  He works as a project manager with a local construction company. Ethan has been involved with his girlfriend for 3 years.  His attorney reached an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce his sentence to probation. In the "wedding cake" model of criminal justice, which layer would Ethan's case fall into?

A)Layer 1
B)Layer 2
C)Layer 3
D)Layer 4

Question 63

The criminal justice system is designed to control crime by arresting, prosecuting, convicting, and _______ those who disobey the law.

A)punishing
B)sentencing
C)incarcera ting
D)instructing

Question 64

Christian is a 20-year-old African American male.  He plays football for a Division I college and has a 4.0 GPA. Christian hopes to enter dental school at the completion of his undergraduate studies.  Walking home late at night from the gym, campus security comes up behind him and demands to know what he is doing.  Christian states that he is on his way back to his dorm.  Campus security places him in handcuffs and says that he is under arrest for breaking and entering due to a recent report of a break-in with a suspect matching his description.  Christian does not resist this arrest and hopes he can clarify the facts once they are at the station. Christian was most likely approached by security based upon his skin color.  This would be a case of

A)disparity.
B)discrimination.
C)racial profiling.
D)racism.

Question 65

Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after attending his close friend's bachelor party.  This is his first encounter with the criminal justice system.  He works as a project manager with a local construction company. Ethan has been involved with his girlfriend for 3 years.  His attorney reached an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce his sentence to probation. Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior.  In order for this arrest to occur, the officer had to have

A)probable cause.
B)reasonable suspicion.
C)clear and convincing evidence .
D)reasonable doubt.

Question 66

Ly'ana is an FBI agent who has recently been called to a local police department to assist in investigating a theft of approximately $50,000.  Ly'ana assisted the local department in solving the particular case and is preparing to go to court when the prosecutor determines that the defense attorney has offered a plea bargain.  The defendant admits guilt and is willing to serve 18 months in prison. Which of the following is not a reason for the expansion of the federal government?

A)t he internationalization of crime
B)the creation of the Department of Homeland Security
C)the terrorist attacks of 9/11
D)lack of effective local law enforcement

Question 67

Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after attending his close friend's bachelor party.  This is his first encounter with the criminal justice system.  He works as a project manager with a local construction company. Ethan has been involved with his girlfriend for 3 years.  His attorney reached an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce his sentence to probation. Ethan's attorney and the prosecutor were able to work out an agreement on the expectation of a guilty plea.  This agreement is also known as a

A)system.
B)task.
C)plea bargain.
D)filtering system.

Question 68

A document charging an individual with a specific crime, which is prepared by a prosecuting attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing, is a(n)

A)indictment.
B)information.
C)arraignment.
D)warrant.

Question 69

Christian is a 20-year-old African American male.  He plays football for a Division I college and has a 4.0 GPA. Christian hopes to enter dental school at the completion of his undergraduate studies.  Walking home late at night from the gym, campus security comes up behind him and demands to know what he is doing.  Christian states that he is on his way back to his dorm.  Campus security places him in handcuffs and says that he is under arrest for breaking and entering due to a recent report of a break-in with a suspect matching his description.  Christian does not resist this arrest and hopes he can clarify the facts once they are at the station. Unfortunately, African American males are often treated differently by the criminal justice system.  In Christian's case, his arrest would be considered

A)racism.
B)racial profiling.
C)discrimination.
D)a disparity.

Question 70

A(n)_________ is returned by a grand jury as a true bill charging an individual with a specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause.

A)information
B)arrest
C)warrant
D)indictment

Question 71

Ly'ana is an FBI agent who has recently been called to a local police department to assist in investigating a theft of approximately $50,000.  Ly'ana assisted the local department in solving the particular case and is preparing to go to court when the prosecutor determines that the defense attorney has offered a plea bargain.  The defendant admits guilt and is willing to serve 18 months in prison. Ly'ana was allowed to assist local law enforcement due to a law passed by

A)the U.S. president.
B)Congress.
C)the local mayor.
D)the governor.

Question 72

Ly'ana is an FBI agent who has recently been called to a local police department to assist in investigating a theft of approximately $50,000.  Ly'ana assisted the local department in solving the particular case and is preparing to go to court when the prosecutor determines that the defense attorney has offered a plea bargain.  The defendant admits guilt and is willing to serve 18 months in prison. Both the prosecution and defense agreed to an exchange relationship in theft case.  Which of the following represents that exchange?

A)s equential task
B)f iltering process
C)d iscretion
D)p lea bargain

Question 73

Which of the following is not a major duty of law enforcement agencies?

A)Keeping the peace
B)Preventing crime
C)Providing social services
D)Providing probation services

Question 74

Christian is a 20-year-old African American male.  He plays football for a Division I college and has a 4.0 GPA. Christian hopes to enter dental school at the completion of his undergraduate studies.  Walking home late at night from the gym, campus security comes up behind him and demands to know what he is doing.  Christian states that he is on his way back to his dorm.  Campus security places him in handcuffs and says that he is under arrest for breaking and entering due to a recent report of a break-in with a suspect matching his description.  Christian does not resist this arrest and hopes he can clarify the facts once they are at the station. This case may be seen as an example of the criminal justice system failing in which aspect?

A)racism.
B)racial profiling.
C)discrimination.
D)equal treatment

Question 75

Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after attending his close friend's bachelor party.  This is his first encounter with the criminal justice system.  He works as a project manager with a local construction company. Ethan has been involved with his girlfriend for 3 years.  His attorney reached an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce his sentence to probation. The fact that Ethan was arrested at all is an example of the justice system's use of

A)system analysis.
B)tasking.
C)discretion
D)resource allocation.

Question 76

According to Cole and Smith, deterrence a nd i ncreasing use of technology is assoc iated with which goal of the criminal justice system?

A)Doing justice
B)Controlling crime
C)Preventing crime
D)Increasing crime

Question 77

Ly'ana is an FBI agent who has recently been called to a local police department to assist in investigating a theft of approximately $50,000.  Ly'ana assisted the local department in solving the particular case and is preparing to go to court when the prosecutor determines that the defense attorney has offered a plea bargain.  The defendant admits guilt and is willing to serve 18 months in prison. The offender in the theft case agreed to an 18-month prison sentence.  The offender is part of what percentage of convicted felons in prison/jail for theft?

A)20%
B)30%
C)40%
D)50%

Question 78

Ethan was arrested for public drunkenness and lewd and lascivious behavior after attending his close friend's bachelor party.  This is his first encounter with the criminal justice system.  He works as a project manager with a local construction company. Ethan has been involved with his girlfriend for 3 years.  His attorney reached an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce his sentence to probation. Ethan agrees to a sentence of 18 months probation.  His sentence will be served under what agency of the criminal justice system?

A)l aw enforcement
B)c ourts
C)c orrections
D)d eferred prosecution

Question 79

The ______ is better able than any state agency to pursue criminal investigations across state borders.

A)U.S. Marshal
B)Secret Service
C)FBI
D)Homeland Security Department

Question 80

Ly'ana is an FBI agent who has recently been called to a local police department to assist in investigating a theft of approximately $50,000.  Ly'ana assisted the local department in solving the particular case and is preparing to go to court when the prosecutor determines that the defense attorney has offered a plea bargain.  The defendant admits guilt and is willing to serve 18 months in prison. Ly'ana represents the federal law enforcement role.  Which act, passed by Congress, allows Ly'ana to assist the local police department in the theft investigation?

A)Commission on Law Enforcement Act
B)Homeland Security Act
C)National Stolen Property Act
D)Transportation Security Act