Deck 9: Courts and Pretrial Processes

Question 1

Trial courts of limited jurisdiction have jurisdiction over all offenses,including felonies and appeals.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

State courts have huge caseloads.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Most criminal cases are heard at the state level.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The United States has a dual court system.

Question 5

The job of being a bail bondsman is unique to the United States.

Question 6

All courts in the United States use a basic three-tiered structure.

Question 7

The fragmented structure of state courts is the biggest barrier to effective justice.

Question 8

Trial courts of general jurisdiction handle only misdemeanors and lawsuits for small amounts of money.

Question 9

After a suspect is arrested,he or she can be deprived of freedom,even if a finding of guilty is unlikely.

Question 10

Judges have a variety of roles within the judicial system.

Question 11

Appellate courts try civil and criminal cases.

Question 12

The American legal system is based on a passive judge and jury seeking to find the truth as attorneys for each side argue vigorously.

Question 13

Very few efforts have been made to reform state courts in the twentieth century.

Question 14

It is impossible for a poor person to become a judge.

Question 15

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys can bring pretrial motions in court proceedings.

Question 16

The criterion for deciding if evidence is strong enough to uphold an arrest is called probable cause.

Question 17

Judges selected based on merit must eventually face public election.

Question 18

Most felony cases are disposed of by dismissals.

Question 19

At the heart of reform of state courts is the goal of making the process more complex.

Question 20

The geographic territory that defines a court's authority is called jurisdiction.

Question 21

If an individual cannot make bail,he will be forced to remain in jail until his case is resolved.

Question 22

The purpose of drug courts is to divert substance abusers from incarceration.

Question 23

Which types of cases are heard in federal courts?

A)Only criminal cases
B)Only civil cases
C)Both criminal and civil cases
D)Only murder cases

Question 24

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution forbids the use of excessive bail.

Question 25

Nonpartisan selection allows the public to choose a judge from a list of candidates.

Question 26

U.S.district courts exist

A)in only the 10 largest states.
B)to handle all criminal cases that arise in the country.
C)to share appellate responsibilities with state supreme courts.
D)to handle trial-level federal cases.

Question 27

The bail system does not discriminate based on income.

Question 28

Pretrial detention can be a very troubling experience for the defendant.

Question 29

The use of bondsmen is an increasingly rare occurrence.

Question 30

Under the 10 percent cash bail system,once the individual appears in court,he will receive all but 10% of his bail money back.

Question 31

Judges spend significant time as negotiators while working with prosecutors and defense attorneys regarding plea bargaining.

Question 32

According to the diagram,which two courts can appeal directly to the Supreme Court of the United States? ​
​

A)District courts and courts of limited jurisdiction
B)Circuit courts of appeals and trial courts of general jurisdiction
C)Circuit courts of appeals and appellate courts of last resort
D)Intermediate courts of appeals and district courts

Question 33

Most felony cases take a year or more to adjudicate.

Question 34

Bail is typically determined within three hours after arrest.

Question 35

The bail agent is a nonprofit actor within the criminal justice system.

Question 36

The prosecution will use the pretrial period to introduce motions for lack of evidence or violation of rights.

Question 37

Which is not a goal of a unified court system?

A)Eliminating overlapping boundaries
B)Creating a hierarchical court structure
C)Having courts funded by local government
D)Creating a centralized court structure

Question 38

According to the figure,why is Georgia considered to have an unreformed court structure? ​

A)It has neither reduced the number of courts nor standardized their names.
B)It has fewer trial courts of limited jurisdiction than Alaska.
C)It uses a nonstandard name for the appellate courts.
D)It uses a nonstandard name for the trial courts of general jurisdiction.

Question 39

If an offense is punishable by life imprisonment or death,bail will be denied.

Question 40

Which correctly lists the three levels of state courts?

A)Appellate,district,limited jurisdictional
B)Appellate,general jurisdiction,limited jurisdiction
C)Limited jurisdiction,commercial,appellate
D)General jurisdiction,limited jurisdiction,district

Question 41

In 1984,Congress passed the Bail Reform Act,which authorized the use of

A)citations.
B)10 percent cash bail.
C)release on recognizance.
D)preventive detention.

Question 42

The court appearance of an accused person at which the charges are read is called a(n)

A)probable cause hearing.
B)arraignment.
C)grand jury hearing.
D)reasonable doubt appearance.

Question 43

According to the text,what is the biggest barrier to effective justice for state courts?

A)Lack of qualified judges
B)Too few courthouses
C)Not enough police officers
D)The fragmented structure of the judicial system

Question 44

Which statement about work as a judge is true?

A)Judges usually have very low caseloads.
B)The typical judge is a white female.
C)All judges must have doctoral degrees to sit on the bench.
D)Judges are usually able to set their own schedules and work hours.

Question 45

Why would a local court want to implement a centralized court administration?

A)It would help the court avoid problems with jurisdiction.
B)It would reduce caseloads.
C)It would prevent the political party in power from using court positions as rewards.
D)It would help to eliminate gender and racial bias in hiring.

Question 46

In the United States,the judicial system operates according to a(n)_______ system of justice.

A)adversarial
B)inquisitorial
C)civil law
D)authoritarian

Question 47

In the United States,the vast majority of judges have historically been

A)white men.
B)white women.
C)African American men.
D)African American women.

Question 48

Which of the following principles should be used to make bail decisions?

A)Accused offenders are entitled to release on their own recognizance.
B)Nonfinancial alternatives to bail should be avoided at all costs.
C)Reasons for bail decisions must not be made known to the parties involved.
D)Review of bail determinations can be made sporadically.

Question 49

A court-appointed special advocate is someone who

A)serves jury duty.
B)acts as a judge in special courts.
C)has no official legal training.
D)must complete law school before serving.

Question 50

Which of the following is not a factor in a judge's determination of the bail amount?

A)Seriousness of the crime
B)Defendant's prior record
C)Defendant's family responsibilities
D)Admissibility of evidence gathered by the police

Question 51

The practice by which judges grant releases if the defendant is employed and has roots in the community is called

A)citation release.
B)preventive detention.
C)release on recognizance.
D)preventive assumption.

Question 52

What percentage of state trial judges are African Americans?

A)7
B)12
C)20
D)25

Question 53

Which statement best reflects valid criticism of the use of preventive detention?

A)It always violates the offender's First Amendment rights.
B)It is always used unfairly,particularly for female offenders.
C)It is unfair to incarcerate someone when we assume all offenders are innocent until proven guilty.
D)The financial costs should not be considered.

Question 54

Most felony arrests are decided by a

A)dismissal.
B)rejection at screening.
C)guilty plea.
D)conviction at jury trial.

Question 55

Which statements best describes the method of judicial nonpartisan election?

A)Judges are appointed by the governor.
B)Judges are selected by the legislator.
C)Judges are first appointed by a commission and voters approve the appointment later.
D)Judges run for election and are not endorsed by political parties.

Question 56

Which statement about the bail system is true?

A)Bail is sometimes set before the defendant has an attorney.
B)Bail bondmen cannot deny bail to defendants if the defendants can pay at least 10% of the entire bail amount.
C)Police officers are never allowed to influence a bail decision.
D)Bail bondsmen are nonprofit employees of the state.

Question 57

An application to a court requesting that an order be issued to bring about a specified action is called a

A)dismissal.
B)rejection at screening.
C)guilty plea.
D)motion.

Question 58

In which role does the judge spend significant amounts of time behind closed doors talking to prosecutors and defense attorneys?

A)Adjudicator
B)Administrator
C)Negotiator
D)Electoral candidate

Question 59

What is the main purpose of drug courts?

A)To mete out harsh punishments to drug offenders
B)To teach children about the dangers of drug use
C)To bring drug kingpins to trial
D)To help drug offenders overcome their addictions

Question 60

Which is not a responsibility of judges?

A)Setting bail
B)Issuing search warrants
C)Making arrests
D)Scheduling hearings

Question 61

Which is not a function of a judge?

A)Negotiator
B)Administrator
C)Adjudicator
D)Detainer

Question 62

Judge Karin has been a superior court judge for the past seven years.She was the first woman in her family to graduate college.She is running for reelection this year.Although she loves her job,she feels most of her time is spent maintaining the logistics of the courtroom.She would like to spend more time in the courtroom itself. Judge Karin works out a plea bargain on a manslaughter case,fulfilling her role as a(n)

A)administrator.
B)negotiator.
C)adjudicator.
D)reconciler.

Question 63

Judge Karin has been a superior court judge for the past seven years.She was the first woman in her family to graduate college.She is running for reelection this year.Although she loves her job,she feels most of her time is spent maintaining the logistics of the courtroom.She would like to spend more time in the courtroom itself. The time Judge Karin spends organizing schedules and budgets for her courtroom is part of her duties as a(n)

A)administrator.
B)negotiator.
C)adjudicator.
D)clerk.

Question 64

Katie has been charged with armed robbery.The judge has set her bail at $250,000.She is currently in jail awaiting a family member to raise her bail.This is Katie's first offense and she claims that she was forced to commit the crime by voices in her head. The judge in Katie's case determined her bail amount based on

A)cash bonds.
B)bail funds.
C)detention guidelines.
D)bail guidelines.

Question 65

What has been referred to as the "ultimate ghetto"?

A)American prisons
B)American jails
C)American courtrooms
D)American police departments

Question 66

Preliminary hearings provide an opportunity for defense attorneys to challenge the prosecution's evidence and make ________ to the court requesting that an order be issued to bring about a specified action.

A)objections
B)rulings
C)motions
D)sentences

Question 67

Brady has just been charged with murder in the first degree in a federal court.His previous record includes several drug charges and a sexual assault that is pending.Brady will not be released on bail.His attorney believes the prosecutor and judge will agree to a 20-year sentence through a plea bargain,which will eliminate the chance of a life sentence.As Brady awaits his trial,those with whom he is serving time

A)are serving a sentence of more than one year.
B)are inmates who have not been offered bail.
C)have all been sentenced.
D)are awaiting trial at a federal court.

Question 68

Brady has just been charged with murder in the first degree in a federal court.His previous record includes several drug charges and a sexual assault that is pending.Brady will not be released on bail.His attorney believes the prosecutor and judge will agree to a 20-year sentence through a plea bargain,which will eliminate the chance of a life sentence.Brady will not be released on bail.Instead he will await his trial

A)on house arrest.
B)on preventive detention.
C)on parole.
D)in prison.

Question 69

___________ is designed to remove politics from the selection of judges and to allow the voters to unseat judges.

A)Partisan election
B)Merit selection
C)Nonpartisan election
D)Community endorsement

Question 70

In the case of United States v.Salerno and Cafero (1987),the Supreme Court decided that the use of preventive detention

A)is constitutional.
B)violates offenders' constitutional rights.
C)is detrimental to offenders at trial.
D)is racially biased.

Question 71

Judge Karin has been a superior court judge for the past seven years.She was the first woman in her family to graduate college.She is running for reelection this year.Although she loves her job,she feels most of her time is spent maintaining the logistics of the courtroom.She would like to spend more time in the courtroom itself. Judge Karin is a judge in superior court.Since she only hears cases that deal with felonies,she oversees a court of ________ jurisdiction.

A)limited
B)general
C)appellate
D)district

Question 72

Trial courts of _________ jurisdiction handle only misdemeanors and lawsuits involving small amounts of money.

A)general
B)limited
C)appellate
D)specific

Question 73

As __________,all judges must deal with political actors such as county commissioners,legislators,and members of the state executive bureaucracy.

A)negotiators
B)adjudicators
C)administrators
D)enforcers

Question 74

Katie has been charged with armed robbery.The judge has set her bail at $250,000.She is currently in jail awaiting a family member to raise her bail.This is Katie's first offense and she claims that she was forced to commit the crime by voices in her head. Katie's lawyer files a request to suppress certain details of Katie's alleged involvement in the robbery.The lawyer's request came in the form of a

A)bench statement.
B)motion.
C)hearing.
D)disposition.

Question 75

The amount of ________ is based mainly on the judge's view of the seriousness of the crime and of the defendant's record.

A)bail
B)court dates
C)appearances
D)fines

Question 76

Katie has been charged with armed robbery.The judge has set her bail at $250,000.She is currently in jail awaiting a family member to raise her bail.This is Katie's first offense and she claims that she was forced to commit the crime by voices in her head. At what point in the pretrial process was Katie charged?

A)Arrest
B)Booking
C)Arraignment
D)Disposition

Question 77

Katie has been charged with armed robbery.The judge has set her bail at $250,000.She is currently in jail awaiting a family member to raise her bail.This is Katie's first offense and she claims that she was forced to commit the crime by voices in her head. Until Katie's family raises her bail,she will remain

A)in prison.
B)in jail.
C)on probation.
D)on parole

Question 78

Women comprise 50% of the U.S.population.As of 2016,what percentage of state appellate judges were women?

A)25
B)35
C)45
D)55

Question 79

Katie has been charged with armed robbery.The judge has set her bail at $250,000.She is currently in jail awaiting a family member to raise her bail.This is Katie's first offense and she claims that she was forced to commit the crime by voices in her head. Katie's family most likely would have to consult a _________ in order to post her bond.

A)psychologist
B)bail bondsman
C)judge
D)bond guard

Question 80

Judge Karin has been a superior court judge for the past seven years.She was the first woman in her family to graduate college.She is running for reelection this year.Judge Karin is up for reelection without political affiliation; she is running in a(n)_________ election.

A)partisan
B)adversarial
C)nonpartisan
D)inquisitorial