Question 1

An example of a federal crime is transportation of harmful drugs across state lines.

Accepted Answer

Transporting harmful drugs across state lines violates federal laws, specifically those related to drug trafficking and distribution, making it a federal crime.

Question 2

A common term for federal crimes is capital crimes. The origin of the reference comes from federal enforcement of criminal acts in Washington D.C.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 3

Every time a state police officer is guilty of brutality or racial discrimination, a federal crime has occurred.

Accepted Answer

The question states that "Every time a state police officer is guilty of brutality or racial discrimination, a federal crime has occurred." This means that any instance of brutality or racial discrimination by a state police officer is considered a federal crime. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 4

Private investment in, or ownership of, a prison is prohibited by law.

Accepted Answer

Private investment in or ownership of prisons, known as private prisons, is legal in some countries, including the United States, where companies operate facilities under contracts with government entities.

Question 5

If a prisoner escapes from jail because of a reasonable fear of sexual battery, he or she is not guilty of the crime of escape from custody because of duress.

Accepted Answer

Duress is a defense to a crime that occurs when a person is forced to commit a crime due to a reasonable fear of imminent harm. In this case, the prisoner's fear of sexual battery is a reasonable fear of imminent harm, and therefore the prisoner is not guilty of the crime of escape from custody because of duress.

Question 6

Police cannot, ever, legally search your person or your residence without a search warrant.

Accepted Answer

Police can legally search your person or residence without a warrant under certain circumstances, such as with your consent, during an arrest, if there is evidence in plain view, or if there are exigent circumstances that require immediate action.

Question 7

Kleptomania, and other "genuine" addictive-compulsive disorders, are defenses to the crime of shoplifting.

Accepted Answer

Kleptomania and other compulsive disorders may be presented as mitigating factors during sentencing, but they are not complete defenses that absolve an individual from criminal liability for shoplifting. Legal systems typically require accountability for actions, regardless of underlying mental health conditions.

Question 8

According to the example in the text, T. C. Thorstenson was found guilty of the murder of his bride, Margaret Lesher, although the cause of death was drowning and there were no eye witnesses.

Accepted Answer

T.C. Thorstenson was not found guilty of the murder of his bride, Margaret Lesher; her death was ruled as an accidental drowning, and there were no charges brought against him related to her death.

Question 9

A city ordinance banning the "loitering" of "vagrants" in front of business shops would be constitutional.

Accepted Answer

Such an ordinance could be challenged as unconstitutional if it is overly broad or vague, potentially violating the First Amendment rights (freedom of speech and assembly) or the Fourteenth Amendment (due process and equal protection clauses) of the individuals it seeks to regulate.

Question 10

A husband who offered to pay a bartender $5,000 for referral to a "hit" man to murder his wife would be guilty of criminal assault.

Accepted Answer

Offering to pay someone to commit a murder would more accurately be considered solicitation to commit murder, not criminal assault. Assault typically involves a threat or attempt to inflict physical harm on someone.

Question 11

A young boy got off his old bicycle that was worth about $50, leaned it against a store front, and while he was in the store a stranger grabbed the bicycle, tossed it in his pickup truck, and drove away with the young boy yelling "stop thief!" The wrongdoer is guilty of robbery.

Accepted Answer

The act described is theft, not robbery, because it does not involve force or threat of force against the victim.

Question 12

Specific intent requires an intentional act, but no specific knowledge of particular circumstances.

Accepted Answer

Specific intent crimes require not only that the defendant intended to commit the act but also that they intended to achieve a specific result or had specific knowledge of certain circumstances that elevate the act to a specific intent crime.

Question 13

Federal crimes are prosecuted in a federal court and, if conviction follows, result in confinement in a state prison.

Accepted Answer

Federal crimes are prosecuted in federal courts, and convictions typically result in confinement in a federal prison, not a state prison.

Question 14

O. J. Simpson was found civilly liable for the wrongful death of his former wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman even though he was found not guilty of the crimes in a criminal prosecution.

Accepted Answer

O.J. Simpson was acquitted in the criminal trial but was found liable in a civil trial for the wrongful deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, leading to a significant financial judgment against him.

Question 15

Police can search garbage that is left by you for collection, looking for evidence of any crime, without first obtaining a search warrant, even though there is sufficient time within which to obtain a search warrant.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in California v. Greenwood (1988) that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for trash left outside for collection, allowing police to search it without a warrant.

Question 16

If a store clerk dies from a heart attack suffered as the result of an armed robbery, the robber can be convicted of murder.

Accepted Answer

Under the felony murder rule, if someone dies during the commission of a felony (such as an armed robbery), the perpetrator can be charged with murder, even if the death was unintentional.

Question 17

Although it is a crime for an 18-year-old male to have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl, it is not a crime for an 18-year-old female to have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old boy.

Accepted Answer

The legality of sexual activities between minors and adults depends on the laws of the jurisdiction, including age of consent laws, which typically apply regardless of the genders of the individuals involved.

Question 18

Criminal intent is a usual requirement for criminal responsibility.

Accepted Answer

Criminal intent, or mens rea, is typically required to establish criminal responsibility, as it demonstrates the defendant's mental state and intention to commit the crime at the time of the act.

Question 19

Violations of state food quality regulations by a restaurant usually do not require any proof of criminal intent.

Accepted Answer

Violations of state food quality regulations are often considered strict liability offenses, meaning that proof of criminal intent is not required for a violation to be established. The focus is on whether the regulations were violated, not on the intent behind the actions.

Question 20

A person who never kills anyone personally, and who never even sees the victim, can, nonetheless be guilty of murder.

Accepted Answer

This can occur in cases of conspiracy, where someone plans or orders a murder, or in cases of legal accountability for actions that lead to someone's death, even if they did not physically commit the act themselves.

Quiz 6: Crimes: Public Wrongs

An example of a federal crime is transportation of harmful drugs across state lines.

A common term for federal crimes is capital crimes. The origin of the reference comes from federal enforcement of criminal acts in Washington D.C.

Every time a state police officer is guilty of brutality or racial discrimination, a federal crime has occurred.

Private investment in, or ownership of, a prison is prohibited by law.

If a prisoner escapes from jail because of a reasonable fear of sexual battery, he or she is not guilty of the crime of escape from custody because of duress.

Police cannot, ever, legally search your person or your residence without a search warrant.

Kleptomania, and other "genuine" addictive-compulsive disorders, are defenses to the crime of shoplifting.

According to the example in the text, T. C. Thorstenson was found guilty of the murder of his bride, Margaret Lesher, although the cause of death was drowning and there were no eye witnesses.

A city ordinance banning the "loitering" of "vagrants" in front of business shops would be constitutional.

A husband who offered to pay a bartender $5,000 for referral to a "hit" man to murder his wife would be guilty of criminal assault.

A young boy got off his old bicycle that was worth about $50, leaned it against a store front, and while he was in the store a stranger grabbed the bicycle, tossed it in his pickup truck, and drove away with the young boy yelling "stop thief!" The wrongdoer is guilty of robbery.

Specific intent requires an intentional act, but no specific knowledge of particular circumstances.

Federal crimes are prosecuted in a federal court and, if conviction follows, result in confinement in a state prison.

O. J. Simpson was found civilly liable for the wrongful death of his former wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman even though he was found not guilty of the crimes in a criminal prosecution.

Police can search garbage that is left by you for collection, looking for evidence of any crime, without first obtaining a search warrant, even though there is sufficient time within which to obtain a search warrant.

If a store clerk dies from a heart attack suffered as the result of an armed robbery, the robber can be convicted of murder.

Although it is a crime for an 18-year-old male to have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl, it is not a crime for an 18-year-old female to have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old boy.

Criminal intent is a usual requirement for criminal responsibility.

Violations of state food quality regulations by a restaurant usually do not require any proof of criminal intent.

A person who never kills anyone personally, and who never even sees the victim, can, nonetheless be guilty of murder.