Question 1

Because the judge was forced to use Jordan's previous record in his sentence, Jordan was most likely sentenced using:

Accepted Answer

Sentencing guidelines often require judges to consider a defendant's previous record when determining a sentence.

Question 2

Wendy's case draws a great deal of media attention.The prosecutor seeks the death penalty due to the public outcry.What is the chance that Wendy will receive the death penalty?

Accepted Answer

The question states that Wendy's case drew a great deal of media attention, and the prosecutor seeks the death penalty due to public outcry. However, it does not provide any evidence of a significant increase in the use of the death penalty in recent years or any evidence of gender bias in death penalty sentencing. Additionally, the trend in the United States has been towards a decrease in the use of the death penalty. Therefore, it is not likely that Wendy will receive the death penalty.

Question 3

What are the three types of sentences that result in incarceration? Explain the differences between them.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the three types of sentences...

Question 4

Currently, mentally ill defendants can be put to death in those states that have capital punishment.Should mental illness be an eliminating factor when it comes to the death penalty? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Currently, mentally ill defendants can be put...

Question 5

Criminal sanctions in the United States have four main goals. What are they and explain their purpose.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Criminal sanctions in the United States have...

Question 6

Jordan's DNA results have come back exonerating him from the crime.He is the victim of a:

Accepted Answer

Exoneration through DNA evidence proves that Jordan was wrongfully convicted, meaning he was convicted of a crime he did not commit.

Question 7

Kants is sentenced to three years of probation.He is required to talk to a group of juvenile offenders as one of his:

Accepted Answer

The requirement for Kant to talk to a group of juvenile offenders is a condition of his probation, meaning that it is a requirement that must be met in order for his probation to be completed successfully. It is not a punishment in and of itself, nor is it a plea bargain, element, or presentence requirement.

Question 8

Should those individuals who have served time and later found wrongfully convicted have reparations paid to them by the governmental body who wrongly incarcerated them? Can you place a monetary value on the loss of freedom?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Should those individuals who have served time...

Question 9

Some countries (such as Singapore) use corporal punishment as sanctions in criminal cases.What purposes of punishment does this serve? Would corporal punishment be allowed to occur under the U.S.Constitution? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some countries (such as Singapore) use corporal...

Question 10

While the incarceration rate has risen dramatically in the past 20 years, the number of people executed has declined.Identify two factors that explain this decrease in the execution rate.Does this signal a change in punishment philosophy in the United States? Explain why or why not.

Accepted Answer

The answer of While the incarceration rate has risen dramatically...

Question 11

Jordan has been in contact with the Innocence Project to have his case appealed based upon new developments that have the potential to free him.The technology developments are most likely:

Accepted Answer

The Innocence Project is focused on using DNA evidence to exonerate individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. Therefore, it is most likely that the new developments Jordan is referring to involve DNA technology.

Question 12

We typically take the advent of DNA for granted, oftentimes forgetting that it is still a relatively new concept.Is DNA foolproof? What errors, if any, may occur while relying on only DNA for evidence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of We typically take the advent of DNA...

Question 13

The Supreme Court has decided that it is constitutional to allow jurors opposed to the death penalty to be excluded from capital trials.What effect might this have on decisions made by such juries? Can such juries be "fair and impartial" according to the Sixth Amendment? Explain your answer while drawing from material in the text.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Supreme Court has decided that it...

Question 14

Wendy was sentenced to the death penalty.Most likely she will be put to death by:

Accepted Answer

Lethal injection is currently the primary method of execution in the United States and is considered the most humane way of carrying out the death penalty. The other options (electric chair, gas chamber, hanging, firing squad) are less commonly used and can be more painful and prone to error.

Question 15

Which purposes of punishment is the death penalty designed to serve? Support your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which purposes of punishment is the death...

Question 16

According to Roper v.Simmons (2005), individuals who have committed crimes under the age of 18 are not eligible to for the death penalty.Why is this so important to the cultural morals and values of our present day society? Do we value youth or are we eternally hopeful of the power of rehabilitation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Roper v.Simmons (2005), individuals who...

Question 17

The term CSI effect is thrown around quite liberally among criminal justice professionals.What exactly is the CSI effect? How has it impacted the courtroom, especially the modern-day juror?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The term CSI effect is thrown around...

Question 18

After the sentence, Wendy wants her attorney to appeal based upon racial disparity.Her judge tries to explain to her that there has been a legal precedent established in:

Accepted Answer

McCleskey v. Kemp (1987) established the legal precedent that a defendant must demonstrate intentional discrimination in their specific case, rather than just statistical evidence of racial disparities in the criminal justice system overall. This would likely be relevant to Wendy's case if she is alleging racial disparity in her sentencing.

Question 19

Can and should the death penalty be abolished? How would this impact society? Can we truly say we value life and yet resort to the death penalty? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Can and should the death penalty be...

Question 20

Since Wendy will be placed away from society she will no longer be able to commit additional crimes.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Incapacitation refers to removing the offender from society to prevent them from committing additional crimes. In this case, Wendy's placement away from society will prevent her from committing additional crimes. General deterrence aims to prevent crimes by making an example of an offender for others to see, while specific deterrence aims to prevent the offender from committing future crimes through punishment. Protective incapacitation refers to removing an offender to protect society from the offender, while retribution refers to punishment justified by the offender's wrongdoing. None of these other options fully capture the situation described in the question.

Quiz 9: Punishment and Sentencing