Question 1

Which of the following cases established a precedent for the reasonable use of force that persists today?

Accepted Answer

Graham v. Connor established the "objective reasonableness" standard for police use of force, which is still applied today. This case clarified how to evaluate the appropriateness of force used by law enforcement, considering the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.

Question 2

Which of the following is true about probable cause?

Accepted Answer

An officer can establish probable cause based on their own observations, which is a fundamental aspect of law enforcement.

Question 3

An order in writing, issued by a judge, that commands the officer requesting it to search for certain types of property in certain locations is referred to as a ______.

Accepted Answer

A warrant is a legal document issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes the police to conduct a search, seizure, or arrest based on probable cause.

Question 4

In ______, the U.S. Supreme Court held that warrantless searches conducted in exigent circumstances do not violate the 4th Amendment so long as the police did not create the exigency by violating or threatening to violate the 4th Amendment.

Accepted Answer

In Kentucky v. King, the Supreme Court ruled that warrantless searches conducted under exigent circumstances do not breach the Fourth Amendment, provided the police did not create the exigency through Fourth Amendment violations.

Question 5

The ______ holds that if a police officer sees an incriminating object in plain view during a legitimate stop, he or she may seize the object.

Accepted Answer

The plain view doctrine allows a police officer to seize, without a warrant, evidence and contraband that are found in plain view during a lawful observation. This doctrine applies when the officer has a legal right to be observing the place where the evidence is plainly visible, the discovery of the evidence is inadvertent, and it is immediately apparent that the items are evidence or contraband.

Question 6

In which of the following cases did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that the acquisition of the suspect's cell-site records was a Fourth Amendment search, and that the suspect had a reasonable expectation of privacy?

Accepted Answer

In Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that the government's acquisition of cell-site records was a Fourth Amendment search, recognizing that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their physical movements as captured through CSLI (Cell Site Location Information).

Question 7

In which of the following cases did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that prolonging the detention of a person who is subject to a traffic stop for the purpose of waiting for drug-sniffing dogs to arrive and further inspect the vehicle is unconstitutional?

Accepted Answer

Rodriguez v. United States (2015) ruled that extending a traffic stop beyond the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made violates the Constitution’s shield against unreasonable seizures. The decision emphasized that a traffic stop cannot be prolonged beyond its initial purpose without additional reasonable suspicion.

Question 8

The basic law governing searches related to arrest can be found in ______.

Accepted Answer

Chimel v. California is the landmark case that established the legal precedent for searches incident to a lawful arrest, outlining the scope and limitations of such searches.

Question 9

Which of the following occurs when an individual voluntarily waives his or her 4th Amendment rights and allows a police officer to search his or her person, belongings, vehicle, or home?

Accepted Answer

A consent search occurs when an individual voluntarily gives up their 4th Amendment rights, allowing a police officer to search their person, belongings, vehicle, or home without a warrant or probable cause.

Question 10

Which of the following represents the point at which an investigation becomes an interrogation?

Accepted Answer

An investigation becomes an interrogation when it shifts from a general inquiry to focusing on a particular suspect, as this is when the suspect's rights, such as Miranda rights, may become relevant.

Question 11

The right against self-incrimination is guaranteed in the ______ Amendment.

Accepted Answer

The right against self-incrimination is guaranteed by the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Question 12

The impact of the privilege against self-incrimination on police actions is related to all of the following EXCEPT for ______.

Accepted Answer

The privilege against self-incrimination primarily relates to verbal or written statements, admissions, and confessions, not to physical evidence.

Question 13

If you are an officer who arrests persons because you know without any doubt they are guilty of a crime but prior to obtaining all the necessary evidence and following proper procedures, you subscribe to which line of thinking?

Accepted Answer

The crime control model emphasizes the efficient arrest and conviction of criminal offenders, prioritizing the suppression of criminal conduct over strict adherence to procedural rights.

Question 14

Which of the following amendments is often referred to as the due process amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 14th Amendment is often referred to as the due process amendment because it includes the Due Process Clause, which prohibits states from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

Question 15

Which of the following prevents the federal government and all states from denying the protection of the law to any group of persons by making arbitrary, unreasonable distinctions based on race, religion, gender, and national origin?

Accepted Answer

The Equal Protection Clause is part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It mandates that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws," which means that states must apply the law equally and cannot discriminate against people or groups of people arbitrarily. This clause has been used to combat discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and national origin.

Question 16

Which of the following best exemplifies the crime control model?

Accepted Answer

The crime control model emphasizes the efficient arrest and conviction of criminal offenders. Breaking down a door, finding drugs, and arresting the individual exemplifies a focus on swift action to suppress criminal activity, which aligns with the principles of the crime control model. The other options (A, B, C) are more aligned with due process model principles, which emphasize protecting individuals' rights and ensuring fair procedures.

Question 17

The ______ is a judicially imposed requirement that any evidence obtained by the police using methods that violate an individual's constitutional rights be excluded in a criminal prosecution against that individual.

Accepted Answer

The exclusionary rule is a legal principle in the United States, under which evidence collected or analyzed in violation of the defendant's constitutional rights is sometimes inadmissible for a criminal prosecution in a court of law.

Question 18

The ______ deals with searches conducted with a warrant.

Accepted Answer

The good-faith doctrine allows evidence collected in violation of privacy rights to be admitted in court if police officers were acting in reliance on a search warrant that they believed to be valid, even if the warrant is later found to be defective.

Question 19

The ______ allows the admission of illegally obtained evidence if it would have been discovered lawfully in the "normal course of events" anyway.

Accepted Answer

The inevitable discovery doctrine posits that evidence obtained illegally can still be used in court if it can be shown that the evidence would have inevitably been discovered through lawful means.

Question 20

The ______ _ doctrine holds that illegally obtained evidence may be admitted if it was also obtained through an independent source not tainted by police misconduct.

Accepted Answer

The independent source doctrine allows for evidence to be admitted if it was obtained from a separate, independent source that is not connected to the illegal search or seizure, thus not tainted by police misconduct.

Quiz 9: Law, Court Decisions, and the Police