Intro To Criminal Justice (Chapters 1-3) Exam Questions with correct Answers
Adjudication - ✔✔the legal resolution of a dispute (usually dealing with juveniles) by a judge or jury
Aggravating Circumstances - ✔✔Elements of a crime that enhance is seriousness (torture, killing
someone, having a weapon)
Appeal - ✔✔a written petition to a higher court to modify or reverse a decision of a lower court
Arrest - ✔✔the taking into custody or detaining of an individual who is suspected of committing a crime,
to answer the charges against them
corrections - ✔✔a broad term that includes facilities, programs and organizations responsible for the
management of people who have been accused or convicted of a crime
Flow and Process - ✔✔Horizontal movement of defendants and cases through the criminal justice
process.
Steps to the horizontal flow and process - ✔✔Commission of a crime, investigation, arrest, initial
appearance, arraignment, trial, verdict, sentencing and appeal
Vertical Movement - ✔✔a case is dropped or someone leaves the system for some other reason
Determinate sentences - ✔✔a specific, fixed period sentence ordered by a court
discretion - ✔✔authority to make decisions in enforcing the law based on one's observations and
judgments ("spirit of the law") rather than the letter of the law (police officers)
district attorney - ✔✔federal, state or local prosecutor who represents the people, particularly victims.
,discovery - ✔✔a procedure where both the prosecution and the defense exchange and share
information so there are no surprises at the trial
Examples of discovery - ✔✔recorded statements, psychiatric reports, crime scene photos, witnesses etc
ethics - ✔✔a set of rules or values that spell out appropriate human conduct
felony offenses - ✔✔In Penna most serious of all categories. Divided into F1, F2, F3 and punishable by
up to or more than 10 years depending on degree
Indeterminate sentencing - ✔✔a scheme whereby one is sentenced for a flexible time period (eg 5-10
years) so as to be released when rehabilitated or the opportunity for rehab is presented.
Misdemeanor offense - ✔✔divided into M1, M2, M3 offenses. First degree are the most serious types of
misdem. while third degree are the least serious. (eg. SA OR DUI)
Mitigating circumstances - ✔✔circumstances that would tend to lessen the severity of the sentence,
such as one's youthfulness, mental instability, no priors etc.
Nolo contendere - ✔✔a plea of no contest to charges; defendant does not dispute the facts. Not
pleading guilty, but accepting charges
Parole - ✔✔Early release from prison with conditions attached and under supervision of a parole agency
Political Influence - ✔✔mattes taken into account for developing public policies, allocating funds and
other resources and choosing among preferred alternatives
Probable cause - ✔✔reasonable suspicion or belief that a crime has been or is about to be, committed
by a particular person
, prosecution - ✔✔bringing of charges against an individual, based on probable cause, so as to cause the
matter to go to court
recognizance - ✔✔personal responsibility to return to court at a specified time; normally people
released from jail "on recognizance" so not have to pay bail or bond
sanctions - ✔✔a penalty or punishment
sentence - ✔✔a penalty imposed on a convicted person, which may include a period of incarceration, a
fine, community service or an alternative
summary offense - ✔✔most minor type of offense in PA and often called a "non traffic citation". Usually
results with a fine and a max 90 days in prison. Includes DC, loitering, Harass, RT etc
Three strikes law - ✔✔crime control strategy whereby an offender who commits thee or more violent
offenses will be sentences to a lengthy term in prison, usually 25 to life
trial - ✔✔proceeding in a court where the determination of guilt or innocence is to be made, including
specified rules of criminal evidence and processes.
"Wedding Cake Model" - ✔✔a model of criminal justice process whereby a four tiered hierarchy exists,
with a few celebrated cases at the top and lowe tiers increasing in size as the severity of the cases
become less and the numbers become more numerous. (order serious felonies, felonies and
misdemeanors)
Stare Decisis - ✔✔stand by things settled/ the legal principle of determining points in litigation
according to precedent
Criminal Laws - ✔✔the body of law that defines criminal offenses and prescribes punishments for their
infractions
Adjudication - ✔✔the legal resolution of a dispute (usually dealing with juveniles) by a judge or jury
Aggravating Circumstances - ✔✔Elements of a crime that enhance is seriousness (torture, killing
someone, having a weapon)
Appeal - ✔✔a written petition to a higher court to modify or reverse a decision of a lower court
Arrest - ✔✔the taking into custody or detaining of an individual who is suspected of committing a crime,
to answer the charges against them
corrections - ✔✔a broad term that includes facilities, programs and organizations responsible for the
management of people who have been accused or convicted of a crime
Flow and Process - ✔✔Horizontal movement of defendants and cases through the criminal justice
process.
Steps to the horizontal flow and process - ✔✔Commission of a crime, investigation, arrest, initial
appearance, arraignment, trial, verdict, sentencing and appeal
Vertical Movement - ✔✔a case is dropped or someone leaves the system for some other reason
Determinate sentences - ✔✔a specific, fixed period sentence ordered by a court
discretion - ✔✔authority to make decisions in enforcing the law based on one's observations and
judgments ("spirit of the law") rather than the letter of the law (police officers)
district attorney - ✔✔federal, state or local prosecutor who represents the people, particularly victims.
,discovery - ✔✔a procedure where both the prosecution and the defense exchange and share
information so there are no surprises at the trial
Examples of discovery - ✔✔recorded statements, psychiatric reports, crime scene photos, witnesses etc
ethics - ✔✔a set of rules or values that spell out appropriate human conduct
felony offenses - ✔✔In Penna most serious of all categories. Divided into F1, F2, F3 and punishable by
up to or more than 10 years depending on degree
Indeterminate sentencing - ✔✔a scheme whereby one is sentenced for a flexible time period (eg 5-10
years) so as to be released when rehabilitated or the opportunity for rehab is presented.
Misdemeanor offense - ✔✔divided into M1, M2, M3 offenses. First degree are the most serious types of
misdem. while third degree are the least serious. (eg. SA OR DUI)
Mitigating circumstances - ✔✔circumstances that would tend to lessen the severity of the sentence,
such as one's youthfulness, mental instability, no priors etc.
Nolo contendere - ✔✔a plea of no contest to charges; defendant does not dispute the facts. Not
pleading guilty, but accepting charges
Parole - ✔✔Early release from prison with conditions attached and under supervision of a parole agency
Political Influence - ✔✔mattes taken into account for developing public policies, allocating funds and
other resources and choosing among preferred alternatives
Probable cause - ✔✔reasonable suspicion or belief that a crime has been or is about to be, committed
by a particular person
, prosecution - ✔✔bringing of charges against an individual, based on probable cause, so as to cause the
matter to go to court
recognizance - ✔✔personal responsibility to return to court at a specified time; normally people
released from jail "on recognizance" so not have to pay bail or bond
sanctions - ✔✔a penalty or punishment
sentence - ✔✔a penalty imposed on a convicted person, which may include a period of incarceration, a
fine, community service or an alternative
summary offense - ✔✔most minor type of offense in PA and often called a "non traffic citation". Usually
results with a fine and a max 90 days in prison. Includes DC, loitering, Harass, RT etc
Three strikes law - ✔✔crime control strategy whereby an offender who commits thee or more violent
offenses will be sentences to a lengthy term in prison, usually 25 to life
trial - ✔✔proceeding in a court where the determination of guilt or innocence is to be made, including
specified rules of criminal evidence and processes.
"Wedding Cake Model" - ✔✔a model of criminal justice process whereby a four tiered hierarchy exists,
with a few celebrated cases at the top and lowe tiers increasing in size as the severity of the cases
become less and the numbers become more numerous. (order serious felonies, felonies and
misdemeanors)
Stare Decisis - ✔✔stand by things settled/ the legal principle of determining points in litigation
according to precedent
Criminal Laws - ✔✔the body of law that defines criminal offenses and prescribes punishments for their
infractions
