CRJ 203: Exam 3 Study Guide 2025
Questions and Answers
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States - 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 - 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. - 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
List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors in each of these
important documents - 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.
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,List the four most common ways that defendants secure pretrial release - 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 - 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 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 - 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 - 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.
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,Explain why some jurisdictions use grand juries extensively and others do not - 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 - 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) personal standards of justice (attitudes of the
courtroom work group about what actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - ANSWER✔✔-a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty
arrest - ANSWER✔✔-cause to stop; bring into custody
arrest warrant - ANSWER✔✔-an order signed by a judge naming the individual to be arrested for a
specific crime
bail - ANSWER✔✔-A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person
returns for his or her trial
bail agent - ANSWER✔✔-employee of a private, for-profit company that provides money for
suspects to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - 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.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, bench warrant (capias) - ANSWER✔✔-A document that authorizes a suspect's or defendant's arrest
for not appearing in court as required.
bind over - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity
of an accusation before trial.
hierarchy rule - ANSWER✔✔-In a multiple-offense incident, only the most serious crime is
counted.
index crimes - ANSWER✔✔-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
indictment - ANSWER✔✔-a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime
initial appearance - ANSWER✔✔-an accused's first appearance before a judge or magistrate
following arrest
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) - ANSWER✔✔-Program that requires local
police agencies to provide a brief account of each incident and arrest within 22 crime patterns,
including incident, victim, and offender information.
nolle prosequi - ANSWER✔✔-An entry, made by a prosecutor on the record of a case and
announced in court, indicating that the charges specified will not be prosecuted. In effect, the
charges are thereby dismissed.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Questions and Answers
Define the two methods of estimating the amount of crime in the United States - 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 - 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. - 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
List the four ways that criminals are formally charged in court and the major actors in each of these
important documents - 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.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,List the four most common ways that defendants secure pretrial release - 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 - 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 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 - 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 - 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.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,Explain why some jurisdictions use grand juries extensively and others do not - 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 - 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) personal standards of justice (attitudes of the
courtroom work group about what actions should or should not be punished
arraignment - ANSWER✔✔-a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty
arrest - ANSWER✔✔-cause to stop; bring into custody
arrest warrant - ANSWER✔✔-an order signed by a judge naming the individual to be arrested for a
specific crime
bail - ANSWER✔✔-A sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person
returns for his or her trial
bail agent - ANSWER✔✔-employee of a private, for-profit company that provides money for
suspects to be released from jail; also called a bondsman
bail bond - 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.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, bench warrant (capias) - ANSWER✔✔-A document that authorizes a suspect's or defendant's arrest
for not appearing in court as required.
bind over - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity
of an accusation before trial.
hierarchy rule - ANSWER✔✔-In a multiple-offense incident, only the most serious crime is
counted.
index crimes - ANSWER✔✔-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
indictment - ANSWER✔✔-a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime
initial appearance - ANSWER✔✔-an accused's first appearance before a judge or magistrate
following arrest
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) - ANSWER✔✔-Program that requires local
police agencies to provide a brief account of each incident and arrest within 22 crime patterns,
including incident, victim, and offender information.
nolle prosequi - ANSWER✔✔-An entry, made by a prosecutor on the record of a case and
announced in court, indicating that the charges specified will not be prosecuted. In effect, the
charges are thereby dismissed.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
