CRIM 435 PSU EXAM 1 {LATEST 2026 -
2027 update} QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT
State Courts History - correct answer -Roots in English Common Law
-Colonial Courts as diverse as the colonies (need based)
-As society modernized, so did our court system
-State Courts address two types of cases (criminal and civil)
Court Administrator/Clerk - correct answer Administer the entire thing (runs court)
3 Realities to the Process of American Justice - correct answer 1) Courts handle high
number of cases.
2) Discretion is exercised often.
,3) All done by multiple actors who engage in a complex series of interactions from the
beginning (arrest) of the case to the end (sentencing/appeal).
Physical Components of a Court Room - correct answer -Bench: where the judge sits,
usually raised and in the center
-Witness Stand: where witness testifies (in colonial days most people stood = "the
stand" or "stand trial"
-Prosecution/Defense Table
-Jury Box: where jury sits (prosecution table usually located closer)(14 seats in a jury
box)
-Bar: separation (railing or fence)
-Gallery: where the public sits behind the bar
Vital Court Room Actors - correct answer -Law Enforcement Agents: security
-Bailiff: swear in witnesses
,-Tipstaff/Tipstave: manage jury, guard the jury room while deliberating, judge cannot
talk directly to the jury so this person does
-Law Clerk: right opinions for the judge, advises/preps judge for court
Public Perception of how Court Works - correct answer WRONG
-Notion that we can solve anything that comes from TV
-Courts are not slow and deliberative; they are meat grinders (Assembly Line Justice)
Courtroom Work Group - correct answer Regular participants in the day to day
activities of a particular court room.
Usually consists of judge, prosecutors, public defenders, defense attorneys. Then with
each individual case you add the defendant, victim, and (in rare circumstances) the
community.
, Characteristics: mutual interdependence, shared decisions process (collaborative),
socialization (little culture with norms).
Legal Ethics - correct answer -Code of Professional Conduct
-Purpose of ethical rules is to recognize that it is a fight (adversarial nature) but it
should be fair.
-Issue of delay when cases aren't heard quick enough (Justice Delay=Justice Denied)
(6th Amendment provides the right to a speed trial)
Prosecutors - correct answer -Most powerful actors in the justice system
-Very powerful actor in the courthouse workgroup
-They have broad discretion and are totally independent of the judiciary
-Offices usually decentralized
2027 update} QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT
State Courts History - correct answer -Roots in English Common Law
-Colonial Courts as diverse as the colonies (need based)
-As society modernized, so did our court system
-State Courts address two types of cases (criminal and civil)
Court Administrator/Clerk - correct answer Administer the entire thing (runs court)
3 Realities to the Process of American Justice - correct answer 1) Courts handle high
number of cases.
2) Discretion is exercised often.
,3) All done by multiple actors who engage in a complex series of interactions from the
beginning (arrest) of the case to the end (sentencing/appeal).
Physical Components of a Court Room - correct answer -Bench: where the judge sits,
usually raised and in the center
-Witness Stand: where witness testifies (in colonial days most people stood = "the
stand" or "stand trial"
-Prosecution/Defense Table
-Jury Box: where jury sits (prosecution table usually located closer)(14 seats in a jury
box)
-Bar: separation (railing or fence)
-Gallery: where the public sits behind the bar
Vital Court Room Actors - correct answer -Law Enforcement Agents: security
-Bailiff: swear in witnesses
,-Tipstaff/Tipstave: manage jury, guard the jury room while deliberating, judge cannot
talk directly to the jury so this person does
-Law Clerk: right opinions for the judge, advises/preps judge for court
Public Perception of how Court Works - correct answer WRONG
-Notion that we can solve anything that comes from TV
-Courts are not slow and deliberative; they are meat grinders (Assembly Line Justice)
Courtroom Work Group - correct answer Regular participants in the day to day
activities of a particular court room.
Usually consists of judge, prosecutors, public defenders, defense attorneys. Then with
each individual case you add the defendant, victim, and (in rare circumstances) the
community.
, Characteristics: mutual interdependence, shared decisions process (collaborative),
socialization (little culture with norms).
Legal Ethics - correct answer -Code of Professional Conduct
-Purpose of ethical rules is to recognize that it is a fight (adversarial nature) but it
should be fair.
-Issue of delay when cases aren't heard quick enough (Justice Delay=Justice Denied)
(6th Amendment provides the right to a speed trial)
Prosecutors - correct answer -Most powerful actors in the justice system
-Very powerful actor in the courthouse workgroup
-They have broad discretion and are totally independent of the judiciary
-Offices usually decentralized
