Deck 9: The Courts: Structure and Participants

Question 1

The decision by one of the courtroom professionals to charge,or not to charge,a person with an offense is called:

A)Judicial Discretion.
B)Prosecutorial Discretion.
C)Probational Discretion.
D)Voluntary Discretion.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following territories does NOT have a U.S.District Court?

A)Bahamas
B)The Virgin Islands
C)Guam
D)The Northern Marian Islands

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The dual court system of the United States consists of:

A)State Courts and Courts of Appeals.
B)Federal and State Courts.
C)Federal and District Courts.
D)Federal and State Courts of Appeal.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Any information having a tendency to clear a person of guilt or blame is known as:

A)Exculpatory evidence.
B)Direct evidence.
C)Fruits of the poisonous tree evidence.
D)Lay witness.

Question 5

The U.S.District Courts are the:

A)Trial courts for the federal system.
B)Appellate courts for the federal system.
C)Courts of last resort for the federal system.
D)Civil courts for the federal system.

Question 6

The U.S.Federal Court system was created by the:

A)U.S.Constitution.Article III,Section 1.
B)12ᵗʰ Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.
C)State Court System.
D)President George Washington.

Question 7

The term "trial de novo" is literally applied to:

A)New cases brought before the court for the first time.
B)Cases that are re-tried on appeal.
C)Cases that lost on appeal,but brought before another court.
D)State cases moved to federal court.

Question 8

In 2011,the U.S.Department of Justice created an internal watchdog office,called the Professional Misconduct Review Unit,to oversee the actions of the _________________ to deter misconduct.

A)Judge
B)Jury
C)Prosecutor
D)Defense counsel

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an "Outsider" or non-professional that plays an important role in the court room activities?

A)The Defense Counsel
B)The Bailiff
C)The Press
D)The Judge

Question 10

An eyewitness,character witness,or other person called on to testify who is not considered an expert,is known as a ___________ witness.

A)Hostile witness
B)Known
C)Lay
D)Profiling

Question 11

An eyewitness or character witness called on to testify in court is known as a(n):

A)Expert witness.
B)Lay witness.
C)Friend of the court.
D)Defendant.

Question 12

The role of the defense counsel includes all of the following except:

A)Quasi-legal advisor to the police.
B)Testing the strength of the prosecution's case.
C)Appealing a conviction.
D)Representing the accused.

Question 13

A subpoena:

A)Orders the sheriff to make an arrest.
B)Is issued by a bailiff.
C)Results in a trial de novo.
D)Is a written order requiring an individual to appear in court.

Question 14

All of the following are considered professionals in the courtroom work group except the:

A)Defense attorney.
B)Jurors.
C)Prosecuting attorney.
D)Judge.

Question 15

An organized program that offers services to victims of crime in the areas of crisis intervention and follow-up counseling and that helps victims secure their rights under the law is known as:

A)A victims' rights organization.
B)Court assisted counseling.
C)A victims' assistance program.
D)The victim's freedom act.

Question 16

Courts that have the authority to review a decision made by a lower court are said to have:

A)Original jurisdiction.
B)Oversight jurisdiction.
C)Mandatory jurisdiction.
D)Appellate jurisdiction.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a responsibility of a bailiff?

A)Case-flow analysis
B)Ensure order in the courtroom
C)Announce the judge's entry into the courtroom
D)Call witnesses

Question 18

The three parts of the Federal Court System consists of:

A)U.S District courts,U.S.Appeals Courts,and U.S.State Courts.
B)U.S.Appeals Courts,U.S.State Courts,and U.S.Supreme Court.
C)U.S.District Courts,U.S.Supreme Courts,and State Appeals Courts.
D)U.S.District Courts,U.S.Appeals Courts,and U.S.Supreme Court.

Question 19

An informal hearing place designed to mediate interpersonal disputes without resorting to the more formal arrangements of a criminal trial court is called a:

A)Trial de novo.
B)Community court.
C)Court of last resort.
D)Dispute resolution center.

Question 20

The role of the_______________ is to create a record of all that occurs during a trial.

A)Media reporter
B)court administrator
C)Court reporter
D)Bailiff

Question 21

The _____________ Assistance Program is an organized program that offers services to victims of crime in the areas of crisis intervention and follow-up counseling and that helps victims secure their rights under the law.

Question 22

The lawful authority of a court to review a decision made by a lower court is known as original jurisdiction.

Question 23

It is the responsibility of the clerk of court to keep order in the courtroom and to maintain physical custody of the jury.

Question 24

The Courtroom work group consists of judges,prosecutors,defense attorneys,and defendants.

Question 25

Trial de novo literally means a ________ trial.

Question 26

Both lay witnesses and expert witnesses may express opinions or draw conclusions in their testimony.

Question 27

Defendants,jurors,and the press are considered outsiders or the nonprofessional courtroom participants.

Question 28

Gideon v.Wainwright was a landmark case in 1963 that changed the laws regarding police searches of persons and homes.

Question 29

A subpoena is a written order issued by a judicial officer or grand jury requiring an individual to appear in court to give testimony or to bring material to be used as evidence.

Question 30

Prosecutorial discretion is the decision-making power of prosecutors,based on the wide range of choices available to them,in the handling of criminal defendants.

Question 31

The court of last resort is the court authorized by law to hear the final appeal on a matter.

Question 32

The Herrera v.Collins decision severely limited access by state defendants to federal courts,with the ruling that new evidence of innocence is no reason for a federal court to order a new state trial if constitutional grounds are lacking.

Question 33

Exculpatory evidence is any information having a tendency to clear a person of guilt or blame.

Question 34

State judges are only elected by the public to their posts.

Question 35

A person who has special knowledge and skills recognized by the court as relevant to the determination of guilt or innocence,who may express opinions or draw conclusions in their testimony is called a(n)_________________ witness.

Question 36

A licensed trial lawyer hired or appointed to conduct the legal assistance of a person accused of a crime and to represent him or her before a court of law is called __________ counsel.

Question 37

The _______________ is an attorney whose official duty is to conduct criminal proceedings on behalf of the state or the people against those accused of having committed criminal offenses.

Question 38

The territory,subject matter,or people over which a court or other justice agency may exercise lawful authority,as determined by statute or constitution,is called jurisdiction.

Question 39

The Victim Assistance Program is an organized program that offers services to victims of crime in the areas of crisis intervention and follow-up counseling and that helps victims secure their rights under the law.

Question 40

The Federal Court system is separated into three levels.

Question 41

The process where the U.S.Supreme Court decides what laws and lower-court decisions keep with the intent of the U.S.Constitution is called ___________________ review.

Question 42

Prosecutorial discretion is the decision-making power of prosecutors,which is based on the wide range of choices available to them.List and define three of these areas.Include the benefits and pitfalls of each area.

Question 43

The U.S.has two separate court systems that function within the American criminal justice system today: the federal court system and the state court system.List and define three of the similarities and differences between the two systems.

Question 44

List and define three members of the nonprofessional courtroom participants and their roles in the day to day process in the court room.

Question 45

The court of _____________ resort is the court authorized by law to hear the final appeal on a matter.

Question 46

Comment on and analyze the history,purpose,and rationale for the Dispute Resolution Center.Define the benefits and drawbacks to this program.

Question 47

_____________ courts are low-level courts that focus on quality-of-life crimes that erode a neighborhood's morale.They emphasize problem solving rather than punishment and build on restorative principles such as community service and restitution.

Question 48

Compare and contrast the roles of the professional and nonprofessional courtroom work groups.Analyze how they work together to ensure a successful completion to a case before the court.Do their individual roles intertwine to make the system work?

Question 49

The U.S.Court of ____________ hears cases from the federal district courts located within its circuit,as well as cases from decisions of federal administrative agencies.

Question 50

The movement of a trial or lawsuit from one jurisdiction to another or from one location to another within the same jurisdiction is known as change of __________________.

Question 51

List and define the three-tiered structure of the federal court system.