Criminal Justice Test 1

Front 1

Chapter 1

Adjunction

Back 1

the legal resolution of a dispute

Front 2

Aggravating circumstances

Back 2

element of a crime that enhances its seriousness,such as the infliction of torture, killing of a police or corrections officer

Front 3

Appeal

Back 3

a written petition to a higher court to modifyor reverse a decision of a lower court

Front 4

Arrest

Back 4

the taking into custody or detaining of anindividual who is suspected of committing a crime

Front 5

Corrections

Back 5

a broad term that includes facilities, programs,and organizations responsible for the management of people who have beenaccused or convicted of a crime

Front 6

Criminal justice flow and process

Back 6

the horizontal movement of defendants and casesthrough the criminal justice process, beginning with the commission of a crime,investigation, arrest, initial appearance, arraignment, trial, verdict,sentencing, and appeal

Front 7

Determinate sentences

Back 7

a specific, fixed-period sentenced ordered bythe court

Front 8

Discretion

Back 8

authority to make decisions in enforcing the lawbased on one’s observations and judgment rather than the letter of the law

Front 9

District attorney

Back 9

federal, state, or local prosecutor whorepresents the people, particularly victims

Front 10

Discovery

Back 10

·a procedure where both the prosecution and thedefense exchange and share information as to: witnesses to be used, recordedstatements by the defendant, psychiatric reports ect, so as there will be nomajor surprises at trial.. also known as brady material

Front 11

Ethics

Back 11

a set of rules or values that spell out appropriatehuman conduct

Front 12

Felony Offense

Back 12

most serious of all categories. Divided intofelony of first degree, second degree, and third degree. Felonies punishable byup to more than 10 years depending on degree

Front 13

Indeterminate sentencing

Back 13

a scheme whereby one is sentenced for a flexibletime period so as to be released when rehabilitated or the opportunity forrehabilitation is presented

Front 14

Misdemeanor Offense

Back 14

the state of Pennsylvania organized misdemeanorsinto three basic categories: first, second, and third degree offenses firstdegree offenses are the most serious type of misdemeanor with the mostsignificant possible, while third degree misdemeanors are the least serious.

Front 15

Mitigating circumstances

Back 15

circumstances that would tend to lessen theseverity of the sentence, such as ones youthfulness, mental instability, nothaving a prior criminal recorded, so on

Front 16

Nolo contendere

Back 16

a plea of contest to charges; the defendant doesnot dispute the facts

Front 17

Parole

Back 17

early release from prison with conditionsattached and under supervision of a parole agency

Front 18

Political influence

Back 18

matters taken into account for developing publicpolicies, allocating funds and other resources, and choosing among preferredalternatives.

Front 19

Probable cause

Back 19

reasonable suspicion or belief that a crime hasbeen, or is about to be committed by a particular person.

Front 20

Prosecution

Back 20

the bringing of charges against an individual,based on probable cause so as to cause the matter to go to court

Front 21

Recognizance

Back 21

personalresponsibility to return to court at a specified time; normally people releasedfrom jail “on recognizance” do not have to post bail or bond

Front 22

Sanctions

Back 22

a penalty or punishment

Front 23

Sentence

Back 23

a penalty imposed on a convicted person, whichmay include a period of incarceration, a fine, community service, or somealternative

Front 24

Summary Offense

Back 24

the most minor type of criminal offense inPennsylvania and is often called a non traffic citation. Summary offenses caninclude disorderly conduct, loitering, harassment, and low level retail theft

Front 25

Three strikes law

Back 25

a crime control strategy whereby an offender whocommits three or more violent offenses will be sentenced to a lengthy term inprison, usually 25 years to life.

Front 26

Trial

Back 26

a proceeding in a court where the determinationof guilt or innocence is to be made, and including specified rules of criminalevidence and processes

Front 27

Wedding cake model of criminal justice

Back 27

model of the criminal justice process whereby afour tiered hierarchy exists, with a few celebrated cases at the top, and lowertiers increasing in size as the severity of cases become less

Front 28

Chapter 2

Robbery

Back 28

taking of property of another from his or herperson

Front 29

Burglary

Back 29

entering into a building with intent to commit acrime

Front 30

Mens rea

Back 30

mental intent to commit a crime

Front 31

Actus reus

Back 31

the physical act of the crime

Front 32

Stare decisis

Back 32

to stand by a decision

Front 33

Ordinance

Back 33

a rule

Front 34

Statute

Back 34

a written law passed by a legislative body

Front 35

Protection from abuse

Back 35

civil order that provides protection from harmby family or household members, sexual or intimate partners or persons who youhave a child in common with

Front 36

Civil matter

Back 36

those relating to people's interactions with oneanother

Front 37

Criminal matter

Back 37

Prosecution by the State of a person ororganization, for committing a public wrong considered an offense against theState.

Front 38

Beyond a reasonable doubt

Back 38

the evidence required to validate a criminalconviction

Front 39

Preponderance of evidence

Back 39

A standard of proofthat must be met by a plaintiff if he or she is to win a civil action

Front 40

Substantive Law

Back 40

statutory, or written law, that defines rightsand duties, such as crimes and punishments (in the criminal law), civil rightsand responsibilities in civil law.

Front 41

Procedural Law

Back 41

comprises the rules by which a court hears anddetermines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings.

Front 42

Felony

Back 42

serious crime

Front 43

Misdemeanor

Back 43

a minor crime

Front 44

UCR: uniform crime reporting

Back 44

official data on crimes in the US by the FBI

Front 45

NIBRS

Back 45

national incident based report system – incidentreporting system used by law enforcement agencies for collecting and reportingcrimes

Front 46

Entrapment Defense

Back 46

police tactics that overly encourage or enticeindividuals to commit crimes that they normally would not commit

Front 47

Duress

Back 47

excuse with defendants claiming that theycommitted the act only because they were not acting of their own free will

Front 48

Double jeopardy

Back 48

Subjecting an accused person to be tried twicefor the same offense; prohibited by the 5th amendment

Front 49

Insanity defense in pa

Back 49

uses the m’naughten rule- the burden of proofis on the defendant

Front 50

Plaintiff

Back 50

a person who brings a case against another inthe court of law

Front 51

Castle Doctrine

Back 51

self-defense theory which gives a homeowner theright to protect his home with the use of deadly force.

Front 52

Affirmative defenses

Back 52

the defendant admits he or she committed the actbut because of some reason ( mental illness etc) should be treated lightly

Front 53

Summary offense

Back 53

most minor type of criminal offense inPennsylvania

Front 54

Chapter 3

Classical school/ ceasare beccaria/ rationalchoice

Back 54

free will – one chooses between criminal and lawful behavior

Front 55

Positivist/ auguste comte

Back 55

people commit crime because they are “sick”.don’t believe in punishment

Front 56

Thomas merton/ strain theory

Back 56

social change leads to crime

Front 57

Twin studies

Back 57

hereditary studies – genetics are the reasonpeople commit crime

Front 58

White collar crime

Back 58

financially motivated nonviolent crime committedby business and government professionals