Deck 9: Defendants, Victims, and Witnesses

Question 1

The three most prominent defendant characteristics used in the discussion of crime and crime policy are

A)age, race, and marital status
B)race, education, and income
C)family background, sex, and age
D)sex, poverty, and race

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Members of the courtroom work group become frustrated when victims and witnesses

A)do not cooperate
B)are intimidated by the defendant's friends
C)are intimidated by the defendant
D)all of these answers are correct

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Compared to the average citizen, a felony defendant is more likely to be

A)younger
B)male
C)a racial minority
D)All of these answers are correct

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Prior relationships are most notable in what kind of crime?

A)homicide
B)domestic violence
C)assault
D)theft

Question 5

What types of organizations are involved in the victims' rights movement?

A)local organizations
B)state organizations
C)national organizations
D)local, state, and national organizations

Question 6

Historically, police officers made an arrest only as a last resort in what crime?

A)assault
B)prostitution
C)Homicide
D)intimate-partner violence

Question 7

What annual event focuses on the plight of crime victims?

A)National Crime Victims Week
B)National Crime Victims Month
C)Crime Victim Awareness Month
D)Crime Victim Awareness Day

Question 8

Most members of the courtroom work group are essentially part of what class?

A)the urban underclass
B)the lower class
C)the middle class
D)the upper class

Question 9

It is estimated that career criminals commit what percent of crimes?

A)over 40%
B)over 50%
C)over 60%
D)over 70%

Question 10

In crimes of violence such as assaults, robberies, and rapes, Hispanic women report the crime to the authorities what percent of the time?

A)10
B)25
C)35
D)50

Question 11

The most important victim characteristic that influences case processing is

A)the victim's race
B)the victim's age
C)the victim's social class
D)the victim's relationship with the offender

Question 12

The case of Thurman v.Torrington involved what crime?

A)rape
B)domestic violence
C)assault
D)homicide

Question 13

Most of what we know about the ordeal of testifying in court comes from research on victims of

A)rape.
B)robbery.
C)assault.
D)burglary.

Question 14

Victims and witnesses face frustrations in coping with the court process

A)but overall exhibit surprising support for the system
B)and almost never show up for court
C)and overall resent the system as a result
D)none of these answers is correct

Question 15

What are victim/witness assistance programs designed to do?

A)help navigate the court process
B)provide economic assistance
C)provide rights for victims
D)All of these answers are correct

Question 16

What statements consist of written or oral information about the impact of crime on the victim and the victim's family?

A)victim impact statements
B)victim testimony
C)eyewitness testimony
D)circumstantial evidence

Question 17

Nationwide, approximately what percentage of violent crimes are committed by relatives, friends, or acquaintances of the victim?

A)5%
B)20%
C)50%
D)90%

Question 18

Which participants in the criminal justice system have traditionally been forgotten?

A)Defendants
B)Victims and witnesses
C)Defense attorneys
D)Members of juries

Question 19

In what decade was attention seriously devoted to the problems faces by victims and witnesses in court?

A)the 1950s
B)the 1970s
C)the 1980s
D)the 1960s

Question 20

Which of the following court participants is supposed to stand at the center of the criminal court drama?

A)the prosecutor
B)the defendant
C)the defense attorney
D)the judge

Question 21

In what way(s) are defendants likely to volunteer information that might hurt them in court?

A)all forms of social media
B)Twitter
C)Facebook
D)e-mail

Question 22

What kind of offender is more likely to have experienced neglect, abuse, or violence in his/her families?

A)white-collar offenders
B)purse snatchers
C)property offenders
D)violent offenders

Question 23

Most victim compensation programs

A)reimburse victims for lost or damaged property.
B)provide for the recovery of medical expenses and some lost wages.
C)ensure that defendants pay restitution.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 24

As prosecutorial dominance increased, what else also happened?

A)the power of the victim declined
B)the power of the victim increased
C)the power of the victim remained the same
D)the authority of the judge was undermined

Question 25

Members of the courtroom work group may perceive that the victim's demands for public justice actually mask a desire for

A)private vengeance
B)private regret
C)public vengeance
D)public vindication

Question 26

What was the legal issue presented to the U.S.Supreme Court in Payne v.Tennessee (1991)?

A)victim characteristics
B)"Son of Sam" law
C)victim impact statements
D)mandatory restitution

Question 27

Which of the following statements is true of many victims and witnesses?

A)they are eager to become involved in the criminal justice process
B)they are indifferent to becoming involved in the criminal justice process
C)they are reluctant to become involved in the criminal justice process
D)they are unnecessary in the criminal justice process

Question 28

The jury in the Ravi case decided that the evidence

A)elevated the crime
B)reduced the crime
C)mitigated the crime
D)waived the crime

Question 29

When a criminal defendant acts pro se, courts have the discretion to appoint

A)a guardian ad litum
B)a victim mediator
C)shadow counsel
D)mediating counsel

Question 30

Some see the victims' movement as providing much needed support for victims of crime.Others view the victims' movement as manipulating victims by providing

A)money but no support
B)symbols but no substance
C)support but no money
D)substance but no symbols

Question 31

Although enthusiasm for helping victims is clearly growing what problem still exists?

A)the willingness to pay for the necessary services is not always present.
B)the ability to pay for the necessary services is not always present.
C)the time to pay for the necessary services is not always present.
D)the willingness to pay for the necessary services is always present.

Question 32

Which of the following are hardships faced by victims and witnesses?

A)getting the courthouse, parking, and trial delays
B)getting the courthouse
C)parking
D)trial delays

Question 33

The first victim compensation program in the United States began in what state?

A)California
B)Michigan
C)New York
D)Wisconsin

Question 34

The largest victim advocacy group is

A)the American Association of Retired People.
B)Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
C)the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
D)Handgun Control Incorporated.

Question 35

What is the name of the first Hispanic appointed to the United States Supreme Court?

A)Scalia
B)Breyer
C)Kagan
D)Sotomayor

Question 36

Which of the following is not a requirement of victim compensation fund programs?

A)victims must assist in the prosecution of the defendant.
B)victims must be "innocent victims."
C)victims living in the same household as the offender are ineligible.
D)The defendant must be found guilty in court.

Question 37

What was the basis of the governments' case?

A)twitter feeds, Facebook posts, text message, e-mails and other chatter
B)eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence
C)forensic evidence and confession
D)eyewitness testimony and circumstantial evidence

Question 38

What is the lack of cooperation by victims and witnesses in low-income, high crime neighborhoods often called?

A)legal cynicism
B)witness cynicism
C)victim cynicism
D)victim/witness cynicism

Question 39

What happens when victims

A)lack of cooperation
B)they don't like victims
C)they deserve
D)Researchers consistently find that victims who receive help are more likely to cooperate with prosecutors; they are more likely to appear in court when summoned than those not assisted.

Question 40

What race of defendants is mostly like to be imprisoned?

A)white
B) Hispanic
C) Asian
D) Black

Question 41

Members of the courtroom work group generally enjoy interacting with victims and witnesses.

Question 42

What crime, in particular, are offenders strangers only 14% of the time?

A)rape
B)burglary
C)theft
D)homicide

Question 43

As prosecutorial dominance increased in the United States, the power of victims declined.

Question 44

Some studies focusing on victims have identified ways in which the courts have ignored the interests of victims and witnesses.

Question 45

Conviction of a parent is not correlated with the likelihood of a child offending and being convicted.

Question 46

Members of the courtroom workgroup know that the same individual may, at different times,

A)be a victim, a witness, and an offender
B)be a victim and an offender
C)be a witness and an offender
D)be an offender

Question 47

After cross-examination, witnesses and victims often report feeling as if they have been put on trial.

Question 48

Some see the victim's movement as manipulating victims by providing symbols but no substance.

Question 49

Lack of cooperation on the part of victims of crime is referred to by scholars as indigent cynicism.

Question 50

When victims cooperate with the prosecution, the odds that a case will be prosecuted increase dramatically.

Question 51

Rates of female involvement in the criminal justice system have been increasing in recent years, but their absolute numbers still fall well below those of males.

Question 52

In roughly half the crimes of violence, defendant and victim had a prior relationship.

Question 53

In what percent of all felony arrests in New York did the victim have a prior relationship with the offender?

A)fifty percent
B)forty percent
C)sixty percent
D)seventy percent

Question 54

Some see the victim's movement as providing needed support for victims of crime.

Question 55

Because of the problems and frustrations that many experience in the handling of their cases, victims and witnesses express little overall support for the court process.

Question 56

Victims and witnesses are generally eager to work with the criminal justice system.

Question 57

What percentage of all major crimes are never reported to the police?

A)more than half.
B)less than half.
C)more than one fourth.
D)less than one third.

Question 58

Lack of trust in governmental authorities is one reason Latinos often do not report crimes to the police.

Question 59

Which of the following is true based on decades of research?

A)offenders and victims often possess the same characteristics
B)offenders and victims often engage in many of the same behaviors
C)offenders and victims often possess the same characteristics and engage in many of the same behaviors
D)offenders and victims rarely possess the same characteristics

Question 60

Researchers estimate that over 70 percent of all serious offenses are committed by roughly seven percent of offenders.

Question 61

The criminal justice system has done little to help victims recover from the financial and emotional problems they suffer.

Question 62

The criminalization of domestic violence has not greatly increased the workload of the courts.

Question 63

At times members of the courtroom work group perceive that the victim's demands for public justice actually mask a desire for private _____.

Question 64

As _____ dominance increased, the power of the victim decreased.

Question 65

Many victims and witnesses are _____ to become involved in the criminal justice process.

Question 66

Homicides are usually committed by someone the victim knows by sight; in fact, the victim and the perpetrator are strangers in less than 15 percent of all murders.

Question 67

Researchers estimate that over 70 percent of all serious offenses are committed by roughly seven percent of offenders, a group commonly referred to as _____.

Question 68

Civil lawsuits are an effective way for victims to receive compensation from defendants.

Question 69

In roughly _____of the crimes of violence, the defendant and victim had a prior relationship.

Question 70

Some programs that claim to be "victims' assistance" programs are actually focused on the punishment of defendants.

Question 71

SVU often bases its storylines on real cases.

Question 72

Witness-related problems result in a significant number of cases being dropped by the prosecutor or the judge.

Question 73

Three characteristics of defendants-sex, poverty, and _____-figure prominently in discussions of crime and crime policy.

Question 74

Victim cooperation with the prosecution dramatically _____the odds that a case will be prosecuted.

Question 75

Most jurisdiction have made recent legislative changes making civil protections orders difficult for victims to obtain.

Question 76

Legal sanctions against domestic violence are limited to criminal law.

Question 77

One of the hardships victims and witnesses face while participating in the criminal court process is trial _____.

Question 78

Victim/witness assistance programs provide economic assistance for victims of crime.

Question 79

Victim's Bill of Rights seek to provide rights for victims because _____ already have rights.

Question 80

Defendants are overwhelmingly _____and mostly economically underclass, and racial minorities are overrepresented.