Criminology: Chapter 17

Front 1

Racial Profiling

Back 1

Selecting suspects on the basis of their ethnic or racial background.

Front 2

Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI)

Back 2

The arm of the U.S. Justice Department that investigates violations of federal law, gathers crime statistics, runs a comprehensive crime laboratory, and helps train local law enforcement officers.

Front 3

State police

Back 3

A law enforcement agency with state wide jurisdiction; the major role of state police is controlling traffic on the highway system, tracing stolen automobiles, and aiding in disturbances and crowd control.

Front 4

Proactive Policing

Back 4

An aggressive law enforcement style in which patrol officers take the initiate against crime instead of waiting for criminal acts to occur. For example, they stop motor vehicles to issue citations and aggressively arrest and detain suspicious persons.

Front 5

Deterrent Effect

Back 5

The ability of crime control measures to end or eliminate crime. Deterrence may be achieved by the actual application of the law or by the creation of a perception that crime will be detected and punished.

Front 6

Mug Shots

Back 6

Pictures of offenders that can be viewed by victims in an attempt to identify the perpetrator.

Front 7

Modus Operandi

Back 7

The working methods of particular offenders.

Front 8

Sting Operations

Back 8

An undercover police operation in which police pose as criminals to trap law violators.

Front 9

Morals Squad

Back 9

Plainclothes police officers or detectives specializing in victimless crimes such as prostitution or gambling.

Front 10

Vice Squad

Back 10

Police officers assigned to enforce morally tinged laws, such as those governing prostitution, gambling, and pornography.

Front 11

Arrest

Back 11

The taking of a person into the custody of the law, the legal purpose of which is to restrain the accused until he or she can be held accountable for the offense at court proceedings. The legal requirement is probable cause. Arrests for investigation, suspicion, or harassment are improper and of doubtful legality. The police have the responsibility to use only the reasonable physical force necessary to make an arrest. The summons has been used as a substitute for arrest.

Front 12

Miranda Warning

Back 12

The result of 2 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that require police officers to inform individuals under arrest if their constitutional right to remain silent and to know that their statements can later be used against them in court, that the state will pay for an attorney if they cannot afford to hire one. Although aimed at protecting an individual during in-custody interrogation, the warning must also be given once the investigation shifts from the investigatory to the accusatory stage- that is, when suspicion begins to focus on an individual.

Front 13

Search Warrant

Back 13

A judicial order, based on probable cause, allowing police to search for evidence in a particular place, seize the evidence and carry it away.

Front 14

Inevitable Discovery Rule

Back 14

A rule of law stating that evidence that almost assuredly would be independently discovered can be used in a court of law, even though it was obtained in violation of legal rules and practices.

Front 15

Public Safety Doctrine

Back 15

Evidence can be obtained without a Miranda warning if the information the police seek is needed to protect public safety.

Front 16

Community Operated Policing (COP)

Back 16

A police strategy that emphasizes fear reduction, community organization, and order maintenance rather than crime fighting.

Front 17

Reactive Policing

Back 17

Police officers only responding to calls for help.

Front 18

Problem-Oriented Policing (POP)

Back 18

A style of police management that stresses proactive problem solving rather than reactive crime fighting.

Front 19

Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP)

Back 19

Policing based on collection and analysis of information to produce informed decision making at both the tactual and strategic levels.

Front 20

Adjudication Process

Back 20

(Adult) The determination of guilt or innocence; a judgement concerning criminal charges. (Juvenile) The juvenile court hearing at which the juvenile is declared a delinquent or status offender, or no finding of fact is made.

Front 21

U.S. District Courts

Back 21

Tril courts that have jurisdiction over case involving violation of federal law, such as interstate transportation of stolen vehicles such as racketeering.

Front 22

Federal Courts of Appeal

Back 22

Courts that hear appeals format he U.S. District Courts.

Front 23

Writ of Centiorari

Back 23

An order of a superior court requesting that the record of an inferior court (or administrative body) be brought forward for review or inspection.

Front 24

Precedent

Back 24

A rule derived from pervious judicial decisions and applied to future cases; the basis of common law.

Front 25

Landmark Decision

Back 25

A decision handed down by the Supreme Court that becomes the law of the land and serves as precedent for similar legal issues.

Front 26

Judge

Back 26

The senior officer in a court of criminal law.

Front 27

Prosecutor

Back 27

Representative of the state (executive branch) in criminal proceedings; advocate for the state's case- the charge- in the advisory trial; for U.S. Attorneys, the attorney general of the United States, U.S. attorneys. The prosecutor participates in investigations both before and after the arrest.

Front 28

Defense Attourney

Back 28

Legal council for the defendant in a criminal case, representing the accused person from arrest to final appeal.

Front 29

Nolle Prosequi

Back 29

The term used when a prosecutor decides to drop a case after a complaint has been formally made. Reasons for this include insufficient evidence, reluctance of witnesses to testify, police error, and office policy.

Front 30

Assigned Counsel System

Back 30

A list of private bar members who accepts cases of indigent criminals on a judge-by-judge, court-by-court, or case-by-case basis. The system is used in less populated areas, where case flow is minimal and a full time public defender is not needed.

Front 31

Public Defender System

Back 31

An attorney employed by the state whose job is to provide free legal counsel to indigent defendants.

Front 32

Contract Attorney System

Back 32

Providing counsel to indigent offenders by having attorneys under contract to the county handle some or all such cases.

Front 33

Missouri Plan

Back 33

A way of picking judges through nonpartisan elections as a means of ensuring judicial performance standards.

Front 34

Criminal Charge

Back 34

A formal written document identifying the criminal activity, the facts of the case, and the circumstances of the arrest.

Front 35

Indictment

Back 35

A written accusation returned by a grand jury changing an individual with a specified crime based on the prosecutors presentation of probable cause.

Front 36

Information

Back 36

Like an indictment, a formal charging document. The prosecuting attorney make sour the information and file sit in court. Probable cause is determined at the preliminary hearing, which, unlike grand jury proceedings, is public and attended by the accused and his or her attorney.

Front 37

Complaint

Back 37

A sworn allegation made in writing to court or judge that an individual is guilty.

Front 38

Bail

Back 38

The monetary amount for or condition of pretrial release, normally set by a judge.

Front 39

Preventive Detention

Back 39

The practice of holding dangerous suspects before trial without bail.

Front 40

Avertable Recidivists

Back 40

A person whose crime would have been prevented if he or she had not been given discretionary release and instead been kept behind bars.

Front 41

Bail Bonding Agent

Back 41

A person whose business is providing bail to needy offender, usually at an exorbitant rate of interest.

Front 42

Release on Recognizance

Back 42

A non monetary condition for the pretrial release of an accused individual; man alternative to monetary bail that is granted after the court determines that the accused has ties in the community, has no prior record or default, and is likely to appear at subsequent proceedings.

Front 43

Plea Bargaining

Back 43

The discussion between the plea counsel and the prosecution by which the accused agrees to plead guilty for certain considerations. The advantage to the defendant may be a reduction of the charges, a lenient sentence, or dropped charges.

Front 44

Venire

Back 44

The group called for jury duty from which jury panels are selected.

Front 45

Jury Array

Back 45

The initial list of person chosen, which provides the state with a group of citizens potentially capable of serving on a jury..also a venire.

Front 46

Voir Dire

Back 46

The process in which a potential jury panel is questioned by the prosecution and the defense to select jurors who are unbiased and objective.

Front 47

Removed for Cause

Back 47

Removing a juror because he or she is biased, has prior knowledge about a case, or otherwise is unable to render a fair or impartial judgement as a case.

Front 48

Peremptory Challenges

Back 48

The dismissal of a potential juror by either the prosecution or the defense for unexplained discretionary reasons.

Front 49

Direct Examination

Back 49

The questioning of ones own (prosecution or defense) witness during a trial.

Front 50

Redirect Examination

Back 50

Questions asked by the prosecutor about information brought out during cross-examination.

Front 51

Cross-Examination

Back 51

The process in which the defense and the prosecution interrogate witnesses during a trial.

Front 52

Directed Verdict

Back 52

The right of judge to direct a jury to acquaint a defendant because the state has not proven the elements of the crime or otherwise has not established guilt according to law.

Front 53

Rebuttal Evidence

Back 53

Evidence that was not used when the prosecution initially presented its case.

Front 54

Double Jeopardy

Back 54

A defendant cannot be prosecuted by a jurisdiction more than once for a single offense.

Front 55

Duel Sovereignty Doctrine

Back 55

If a single act violates the laws of two states, the offender may be punished for each offense.