Chapter 16 Vocab

Question 1

acquittal

Answer 1

a trial verdict of “not guilty”

Question 2

arraignment

Answer 2

the stage in the criminal process when a person accused of a crime is informed of the charges and allowed to enter a plea of “guilty” or “not guilty”

Question 3

arrest warrant

Answer 3

a document issued by a judge that authorizes the arrest of a suspect in a crime

Question 4

capital crime

Answer 4

a felony punishable by death

Question 5

circumstantial evidence

Answer 5

information about a crime that can be inferred from other facts

Question 6

determinate sentencing

Answer 6

the practice of assigning a convicted criminal a fixed term in prison

Question 7

direct evidence

Answer 7

information about a crime provided by a witness who saw the crime, or by a video or audio recording of the crime

Question 8

exclusionary rule

Answer 8

the principle that illegally seized evidence cannot be used in a court of law

Question 9

felony

Answer 9

a serious crime that is usually punishable by more than one year in prison

Question 10

grand jury

Answer 10

a group of citizens who examine the evidence in a serious criminal case to decide whether a person accused of a crime should be indicted, or charged

Question 11

hung jury

Answer 11

a jury that is deadlocked and cannot agree on a verdict

Question 12

incarceration

Answer 12

imprisonment in a jail, prison, or other correctional facility as punishment for a crime

Question 13

indeterminate sentencing

Answer 13

the practice of assigning a convicted criminal a variable term in prison

Question 14

indictment

Answer 14

a formal accusation of criminal behavior handed down by a grand jury; this means that the accused person will be brought to trial

Question 15

Miranda warnings

Answer 15

the list of rights that must be read to a criminal suspect at the time of his or her arrest

Question 16

misdemeanor

Answer 16

a minor crime, typically punishable by a fine or no more than one year in prison

Question 17

parole

Answer 17

an early release from prison based on good behavior

Question 18

peremptory challenge

Answer 18

a rejection of a prospective juror for which no specific reason need be given

Question 19

physical evidence

Answer 19

any physical object submitted as evidence in a trial, including fingerprints and
DNA samples

Question 20

plea bargain

Answer 20

an agreement whereby a defendant pleads guilty in return for a lesser charge or reduced sentence

Question 21

procedural due process

Answer 21

the principle that the procedures followed by the government in enforcing the law must not violate constitutional rights and liberties

Question 22

restitution

Answer 22

a repayment by an offender to a victim for losses, damages, or injuries resulting from a crime

Question 23

search warrant

Answer 23

a document issued by a judge that authorizes law enforcement officers to search a person’s property or possessions

Question 24

sentencing

Answer 24

the stage of a trial when the judge announces the punishment for a crime

Question 25

substantive due process

Answer 25

the principle that the substance of the laws enforced by the government must not violate constitutional rights and liberties

Question 26

voir dire

Answer 26

the process during jury selection in which the lawyers and judge question potential jurors to determine whether there is reason to disqualify them from a trial

Question 27

Warrant Clause

Answer 27

a portion of the Fourth Amendment that sets out certain conditions under which warrants can be issued

Question 28

warrantless arrest

Answer 28

an arrest of a suspect without a warrant, often at the scene of the crime