Chapter 4 Flashcards
Know the job of the grand jury
A grand jury is a body of citizens that determines whether the prosecutor possesses sufficient evidence to justify the prosecution of a suspect for a serious crime.
Can an act be deemed criminal if the intent and the act occurred at different times?
no
4th Amendment
protect people against unreasonable search and seizures for people, houses, papers, and effects, and warrants must only be registered upon probable cause only.
5th Amendment
protecting against self incrimination, double jeopardy, the right to a grand jury, the right to due process, and eminent domain
6th Amendment
speedy, public trial, impartial jury, right to know your charges/accusers/evidence against you, the right to an attorney
8th Amendment
protection against excessive bail or fines, no cruel or unusual punishments
14th Amendment
due process and equal protection under the law, citizenship
What is meant by penal code
Penal code also known as substantive law, are law defining acts that the government has deemed harmful and therefore subjected to a punishment. They also specify the punishments for such offenses, such as a fine, incarceration, or probation.
Can the states provide more protection than the US constitution for individual rights
Yes, as a state’s constitution can provide additional protections against actions by state and local government.
What is meant by concurrence
in order for an act to be considered a crime, the intent and the act must be present at the same time
What is meant by procedural due process
The constitution requires that all people be treated fairly and justly by government officials. An accused person can be arrested, prosecuted, tried, and punished only in accordance with procedures prescribed by law. Done to help protect the accused and prevent wrongful convictions, but also to prevent unfair police and prosecution practices
Is it possible for you to be charged with a crime that you committed prior to the law being created?
no
Can an offender be found guilty without mens rea or strict liability
no
Self-defense;
a person has reasonable fear that he or she is in immediate danger of being harms by another person may defend themselves
Necessity;
a person breaks the law in order to save themselves or to prevent some greater harm
Duress;
someone commits a crime because another person coerce him or her
Entrapment;
When police or another government agency induced the individual to commit the criminal act that they would not have otherwise committed on their own
Infancy;
children under the age of 7, are not liable for their crimes as they do not understand the seriousness of their actions and are immature
Mistake of fact;
a person made a reasonable mistake of fact in a crucial way
Intoxication;
some due to drugs of alcohol is not liable for their crime as they were mentally impaired
Insanity;
A person is mentally impaired due to mental illness causing them to not be liable as they did not understand the wrongfulness in their actions
Know what indigent defendants are
People facing prosecution who do not have enough money to pay for their own attorneys and court expenses
Can civil proceedings end in incarceration
No, civil proceedings are the result of a lawsuit that if you lose you may be forced to give up money, property, or some other belonging, but you will not be put into jail
Is the insanity defense used in most cases in the US
The insanity defense is rarely used, and is only really used in serious cases where no other defenses work. In four states defendants are not even allowed to gain an acquittal based on this defense
According to most courts, accidents occur when there is no mens rea, true or false?
True
For much of US history defendants were not guaranteed the right to an attorney in all states
True
What is the US Supreme Court’s position on the death penalty
The death penalty is constitutional expect in some situations, such as with minors, or for those with mental illnesses