Cjc Chapter One Words

Front 1

federalism

Back 1

A system of gov't in which power is divided b/t a central (nat'l) gov't and regional (state) gov'ts

Front 2

system

Back 2

A complex whole consisting of interdependent parts whose actions are directed toward goals and are influenced by the environment within which they function

Front 3

exchange

Back 3

A mutual transfer of resources; a balance of benefits and deficits that flow frm behavior based on decisions about the values and costs of alternatives.

Front 4

plea bargain

Back 4

A defendant's plea of guilty to a criminal charge with the reasonable expectation of receiving some consideration from the state for doing so, usu. a reduction of the charge. The defendant's ultimate goal is a penalty lighter than the one formally warranted by the charged offense.

Front 5

discretion

Back 5

The authority to make decisions w/o refernce to specific rules or facts, using instead one's own judgment; allows for individualization and informality in the administration of justice.

Front 6

filtering process

Back 6

A screening operation; a process by which criminal justice officials scren out some cases while advancing others to the next level of decision making.

Front 7

dual-court system

Back 7

A system consisting of a separate judical structure for eachstate in addition to a national structure. Each case is tried in a court of the same jurisdiction as that of the law or laws broken.

Front 8

adjudication

Back 8

The process of determining whether the defendant is guilty.

Front 9

arrest

Back 9

The physical taking of a person into custody on the grounds that there is reason to believer that he or she has committed a criminal offense. Police may use only reasonable physical force in making an arrest. The purpose of the arrest is to hold the accused for a court proceeding.

Front 10

warrant

Back 10

A court order authorizing police officers to take certain actions, for example to arrest suspects or to search premises.

Front 11

information

Back 11

A document charging an individual with a specific crime. It is prepared by a prosecuting attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing

Front 12

indictment

Back 12

A document returned by a grand jury as a "true bill" charging an individual with a specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause as presented by a prosecuting attorney.

Front 13

felonies

Back 13

Serious crimes usu. carrying a penaly of death or incarceration for more than one year.

Front 14

misdemeanors

Back 14

offenses less serious than felonies and us. punishable by incarceration of no more than a year probation, or intermediate sanction

Front 15

crime control model

Back 15

A model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so important that every effort must be made to repress crime; it emphasizes efficiency, speed, finality, and the capactiy to apprehend, try, convict, and dispose of a high proportion of offenders

Front 16

due process model

Back 16

A model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so important that every effort must be made to ensure that criminal justice decisions are based on reliable information; it emphasizes the adversarial process, the rights of defendants, and formal decision- making procedures.

Front 17

disparity

Back 17

A difference b't groups that may eithere be explained by legitimate factors or indicate discrimination

Front 18

discrimination

Back 18

Differential treatment of individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or economic status, instead of on their behavior or qualifications.