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CRJ 203: Exam 3 Study Guide Questions
And Answers 100% Pass
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States - ANS 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 - ANS 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. - ANS (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
List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors in each of
these important documents - ANS 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 - ANS 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.
, ©EVERLY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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 -
ANS 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 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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) personal standards of justice (attitudes of the
courtroom work group about what actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - ANS a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty
arrest - ANS cause to stop; bring into custody
, ©EVERLY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
arrest warrant - ANS an order signed by a judge naming the individual to be arrested for a
specific crime
bail - ANS A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person
returns for his or her trial
bail agent - ANS employee of a private, for-profit company that provides money for suspects
to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - ANS 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) - ANS A document that authorizes a suspect's or defendant's arrest
for not appearing in court as required.
bind over - ANS If at the preliminary hearing the judge believes that sufficient probable cause
exists to hold a criminal defendant, the accused is said to be bound over for trial.
grand jury - ANS a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of
an accusation before trial.
hierarchy rule - ANS In a multiple-offense incident, only the most serious crime is counted.
index crimes - ANS the eight types of crime reported annually by the FBI in the Uniform
Crime Reports: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft,
motor vehicle theft, and arson
CRJ 203: Exam 3 Study Guide Questions
And Answers 100% Pass
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States - ANS 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 - ANS 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. - ANS (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
List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors in each of
these important documents - ANS 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 - ANS 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.
, ©EVERLY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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 -
ANS 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 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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) personal standards of justice (attitudes of the
courtroom work group about what actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - ANS a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty
arrest - ANS cause to stop; bring into custody
, ©EVERLY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
arrest warrant - ANS an order signed by a judge naming the individual to be arrested for a
specific crime
bail - ANS A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person
returns for his or her trial
bail agent - ANS employee of a private, for-profit company that provides money for suspects
to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - ANS 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) - ANS A document that authorizes a suspect's or defendant's arrest
for not appearing in court as required.
bind over - ANS If at the preliminary hearing the judge believes that sufficient probable cause
exists to hold a criminal defendant, the accused is said to be bound over for trial.
grand jury - ANS a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of
an accusation before trial.
hierarchy rule - ANS In a multiple-offense incident, only the most serious crime is counted.
index crimes - ANS the eight types of crime reported annually by the FBI in the Uniform
Crime Reports: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft,
motor vehicle theft, and arson
