CRJ 203: Exam 3 Study Guide Questions
and Answers Graded A+
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States -
Correct answer-In the United States the two methods of estimating the amount of
crime are the Uniform Crime Reports, based on crimes reported to the police, and
the National Crime Victimization Survey, based on self-reports from households.
Discuss how arrests made by the police impact the criminal court process - Correct
answer-Arrests made by the police impact the criminal court process in two ways:
(1) if the police fail to gather enough evidence, it will be difficult for the police to
gain a conviction, and (2) the increase in the number of arrests has swollen the
dockets of the courts.
Describe the four layers of the criminal justice wedding cake. - Correct answer-(1)
celebrated cases (which are very atypical), (2) serious felonies (which are treated
as meriting major attention), (3) lesser felonies (which are treated as of less
importance), and (4) the lower depths (which comprise the large volume of
misdemeanor arrests
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors
in each of these important documents - Correct answer-Defendants are formally
charged in court with a violation of the criminal law by, (1) a complaint signed by
the victim, (2) a bill of information filed by the prosecutor, (3) an arrest warrant
prepared by the police, or (4) a true bill issued by a grand jury.
List the four most common ways that defendants secure pretrial release - Correct
answer-The four most common ways defendants secure pretrial release are (1)
release on recognizance (ROR), (2) cash bond, (3) property bond, and (4) bail bond
through the services of a commercial bail agent.
Compare and contrast "law on the books" and "law in action" approaches to bail
setting, including the overall effects of the bail system on criminal defendants and
their cases - Correct answer-Law on the books expresses a strong preference for
bail unless clear and convicting evidence establishes that (1) there is a serious risk
that the person will flee; (2) the person may obstruct justice or threaten, injure, or
intimidate a prospective witness or juror; or (3) the offense is one of violence or
one punishable by life imprisonment or death. In contrast, law in action affects bail
setting in terms of uncertainty, risk, jail overcrowding, and situational justice. How
these factors coalesce in a bail decision affects the processing of criminal
defendants in terms of jail conditions, disparate impact on racial and ethnic
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,minorities, the failure of some defendants to appear in court as promised, and case
disposition.
Explain the role bail agents play in the criminal justice system - Correct answer-
The bail agent provides a specialized form of insurance and makes a profit by
focus- ing on low-risk offenders accused of less serious crimes
Contrast how the law on the books approach to criminal justice and the law in
action perspective offer contrasting views of the preliminary hearing - Correct
answer-The law on the books approach to criminal justice emphasizes that during
the preliminary hearing the judge decides whether there is probable cause to hold
the defendant, while the law in action perspective emphasizes that in most
jurisdictions there is a strong probability that the case will proceed.
Explain why some jurisdictions use grand juries extensively and others do not -
Correct answer-Grand juries are used extensively in jurisdictions where the
constitution requires a grand jury indictment in all felonies. In jurisdictions that do
not have this constitutional requirement, grand jury indictments are required in
only select offenses.
Delineate the three major reasons for case attrition - Correct answer-The three
major reasons for case attrition are (1) legal judgments (lack of evidence), (2)
policy priorities (some cases are considered too minor to be prosecuted), and (3)
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, personal standards of justice (attitudes of the courtroom work group about what
actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - Correct answer-a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads
guilty or not guilty
arrest - Correct answer-cause to stop; bring into custody
arrest warrant - Correct answer-an order signed by a judge naming the individual to
be arrested for a specific crime
bail - Correct answer-A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an
accused person returns for his or her trial
bail agent - Correct answer-employee of a private, for-profit company that provides
money for suspects to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - Correct answer-A document guaranteeing the appearance of a
defendant in court as required and recording the pledge of money or property to be
paid to the court if he or she does not appear, which is signed by the person to be
released and anyone else acting on his or her behalf.
bench warrant (capias) - Correct answer-A document that authorizes a suspect's or
defendant's arrest for not appearing in court as required.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
and Answers Graded A+
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States -
Correct answer-In the United States the two methods of estimating the amount of
crime are the Uniform Crime Reports, based on crimes reported to the police, and
the National Crime Victimization Survey, based on self-reports from households.
Discuss how arrests made by the police impact the criminal court process - Correct
answer-Arrests made by the police impact the criminal court process in two ways:
(1) if the police fail to gather enough evidence, it will be difficult for the police to
gain a conviction, and (2) the increase in the number of arrests has swollen the
dockets of the courts.
Describe the four layers of the criminal justice wedding cake. - Correct answer-(1)
celebrated cases (which are very atypical), (2) serious felonies (which are treated
as meriting major attention), (3) lesser felonies (which are treated as of less
importance), and (4) the lower depths (which comprise the large volume of
misdemeanor arrests
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors
in each of these important documents - Correct answer-Defendants are formally
charged in court with a violation of the criminal law by, (1) a complaint signed by
the victim, (2) a bill of information filed by the prosecutor, (3) an arrest warrant
prepared by the police, or (4) a true bill issued by a grand jury.
List the four most common ways that defendants secure pretrial release - Correct
answer-The four most common ways defendants secure pretrial release are (1)
release on recognizance (ROR), (2) cash bond, (3) property bond, and (4) bail bond
through the services of a commercial bail agent.
Compare and contrast "law on the books" and "law in action" approaches to bail
setting, including the overall effects of the bail system on criminal defendants and
their cases - Correct answer-Law on the books expresses a strong preference for
bail unless clear and convicting evidence establishes that (1) there is a serious risk
that the person will flee; (2) the person may obstruct justice or threaten, injure, or
intimidate a prospective witness or juror; or (3) the offense is one of violence or
one punishable by life imprisonment or death. In contrast, law in action affects bail
setting in terms of uncertainty, risk, jail overcrowding, and situational justice. How
these factors coalesce in a bail decision affects the processing of criminal
defendants in terms of jail conditions, disparate impact on racial and ethnic
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,minorities, the failure of some defendants to appear in court as promised, and case
disposition.
Explain the role bail agents play in the criminal justice system - Correct answer-
The bail agent provides a specialized form of insurance and makes a profit by
focus- ing on low-risk offenders accused of less serious crimes
Contrast how the law on the books approach to criminal justice and the law in
action perspective offer contrasting views of the preliminary hearing - Correct
answer-The law on the books approach to criminal justice emphasizes that during
the preliminary hearing the judge decides whether there is probable cause to hold
the defendant, while the law in action perspective emphasizes that in most
jurisdictions there is a strong probability that the case will proceed.
Explain why some jurisdictions use grand juries extensively and others do not -
Correct answer-Grand juries are used extensively in jurisdictions where the
constitution requires a grand jury indictment in all felonies. In jurisdictions that do
not have this constitutional requirement, grand jury indictments are required in
only select offenses.
Delineate the three major reasons for case attrition - Correct answer-The three
major reasons for case attrition are (1) legal judgments (lack of evidence), (2)
policy priorities (some cases are considered too minor to be prosecuted), and (3)
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, personal standards of justice (attitudes of the courtroom work group about what
actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - Correct answer-a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads
guilty or not guilty
arrest - Correct answer-cause to stop; bring into custody
arrest warrant - Correct answer-an order signed by a judge naming the individual to
be arrested for a specific crime
bail - Correct answer-A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an
accused person returns for his or her trial
bail agent - Correct answer-employee of a private, for-profit company that provides
money for suspects to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - Correct answer-A document guaranteeing the appearance of a
defendant in court as required and recording the pledge of money or property to be
paid to the court if he or she does not appear, which is signed by the person to be
released and anyone else acting on his or her behalf.
bench warrant (capias) - Correct answer-A document that authorizes a suspect's or
defendant's arrest for not appearing in court as required.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
