Exit CJ Exam

Question 1

Who or what component of the court system is tasked with the following: charging suspects with a criminal offense, recommending bail or detention, negotiating a plea deal, and recommending sentences?

Answer 1

Prosecutor

Question 2

Who or what component of the court system is tasked with the following: accept/reject negotiated pleas, suspend a sentence, sentence to probation, and hand down maximum/minimum sentences.?

Answer 2

Judge

Question 3

What would be a normal sentence range for a criminal convicted of sexual assault.

Answer 3

190 months

Question 4

A misdemeanor can be defined by what length of a sentence to incarceration in prison or jail?

Answer 4

Sentenced to jail for up to one year or less

Question 5

Explain the concept of the presumption of innocence in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Answer 5

According to the Govt., the government always has the burden to justify its use of power even against people who turn out to be guilty.

Question 6

Lead by Chief Justice Earl Warren the U.S. Supreme Court adopted an ambitious agenda over years that expanded the rights of criminal defendants and increased protection for defendents. During which years did this occur in the U.S.? By what name do we commonly refer to this period and this series of SCOTUS decisions?

Answer 6

• 1953-1969
• Warren Court era

Question 7

What does the term Probable Cause to Arrest mean in our criminal justice system?

Answer 7

a legal standard that requires police officers to have sufficient evidence to believe that a suspect has committed a crime before making an arrest

Question 8

What was the result of the Katz v. U.S. (1967) U.S. Supreme Court decision?

Answer 8

invalidated the FBI’s wiretap evidence and overturned Katz’s criminal conviction

Question 9

Explain the concept of the plain-view doctrine.

Answer 9

Which allows an officer to seize evidence of a crime without a warrant when the evidence is clearly visible.
* Example: Officer gets a phone call that the neighbors are being loud. He responds to the call and as he is walking in, he smells marijuana. He knocks the door and sees the person with a marijuana cigarette in his hands.

Question 10

What was the result of the Schneckloth v. Bustamante (1973) U.S. Supreme Court decision?

Answer 10

The court ruled that although knowledge of a right to refuse consent is a factor in determining whether a grant of consent to a search was voluntary, the state doesn’t need to prove that the person who granted consent to search knew of right to refuse consent under the 4th Amendment

Question 11

What was the result of the Miranda v. Arizona U.S. Supreme Court decision?

Answer 11

Case that decided that suspects must be given their 4 warnings before an office can interrogate a suspect in custody

Question 12

What was the result of the U.S. v. Banks (2003) U.S. Supreme Court decision?

Answer 12

Officers must execute a warrant legitimately enter a home 15-20 sec after having announced their presence

Question 13

Describe the primary duties of Supreme courts.

Answer 13

interpret the law and defend the Constitution

Question 14

What is the constitutional duty of defense lawyers?

Answer 14

They must make sure that the govt. proves every element of its case beyond a reasonable doubt

Question 15

How many justices sit on the United States Supreme Court?

Answer 15

9

Question 16

What is proof beyond a reasonable doubt?

Answer 16

The prosecution must convince the jury that there’s no other reasonable explanation that can come from the evidence presented at trial
* thereby overcoming the presumption that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

Question 17

The courtroom workgroup (prosecutors, defense lawyers, and judges) have different emphases when considering plea bargains. Explain what we mean by plea bargaining.

Answer 17

Is when a legal negotiation between the prosecution and the defense, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge or to one or more of the charges in exchange for a more lenient sentence

Question 18

Explain the concept of sentence probation to the community in lieu of incarceration in a jail or prison.

Answer 18

It is a court-ordered period of supervision served in the community, where the defendant must agree to and follow certain conditions to avoid imprisonment

Question 19

What is the primary purpose of probation?

Answer 19

To rehabilitate the defendant, protect society from further criminal conduct by the defendant and to protect the rights of the victim

Question 20

Have the prison populations in the U.S. been remarkably stable over the last one hundred years?

Answer 20

No

Question 21

Describe the differences between Maximum, Medium, and Minimum security prisons.

Answer 21

Minimum “Federal Prison Camps”
* home to inmates who are serving time for non-violent offenses
* offer dormitory-style housing, low intmate-to-correctional officer ration, & little to no perimeter fence
* less than 10 yrs left on their sentences with little to no history of violence

Medium “Federal Correctional Institutions”
* houses their inmates in cells
* enclosed with multiple fences, spools of razor wire, and armed perimeter automobiles that survey the perimeter 24/7
* offer their inmates a nice variety of treatment and work programs, inmate-to-correctional officer ratio is a lot higher
* sentences up to 30 yrs to complete

Maximum “United States Penitentiaries”
* highest level of security in the United States
* a tightly secured border and are home to the most dangerous criminals
* enclosed with multiple fences, spools of razor wire, and armed perimeter automobiles that survey the perimeter 24/7
* sentences of more than 30 yrs to complete

Question 22

What is the primary the difference between a prison and a jail?

Answer 22

Prisons: convicted of crimes with long term > year
Jails: administered by county governments and charged with new crimes, awaiting trail, new crimes > year sentence or innocent

Question 23

What are the contemporary recidivism rates in the U.S. for criminals after their release from prison?

Answer 23

The vast majority - over 90% - of offenders who are released from prison eventually commit other crimes and return to prison

Question 24

Describe the differences between the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program

Answer 24

NCVS = household surveys based on a sample of questions that are asked to a household of people 12 years old or older if they have been a victim of a crime. Doesn’t include murder or business crimes, however, it does include the rest of the index crimes.

UCR = The FBI collects data on crimes in the US. All of the local law departments report these crimes to the FBI. Involves 8 index crimes

Question 25

Consensus theory

Answer 25

see crime as unusual, dysfunctional, and believe something has ‘gone wrong’ for the people who commit crime

Question 26

Social Control Theory

Answer 26

posits that people’s relationships, commitments, values, norms, and beliefs encourage them not to break the law

Question 27

Life-course theory

Answer 27

a way of thinking about how an individual’s life is determined through the occurrence of certain life events

Question 28

Social strain theory

Answer 28

the anger, frustration, and resentment experienced by people who believe they cannot achieve their goals through legitimate means

Question 29

Rational choice theory

Answer 29

the view that crime is a function of a decision-making process in which the would-be offender weighs the potential costs and benefits of an illegal act

Question 30

Biological theory

Answer 30

argue that whether or not people commit crimes depends on their biological nature

Question 31

Social-conflict theory

Answer 31

suggests that criminal behavior is caused by social inequality and limited resources on Earth, resulting in a constant struggle between the rich and the poor

Question 32

Review the advantages and disadvantages of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Answer 32

Advantages: Provides are great overview of trends in crime
Disadvantages: Can go over reported and under reported. Reasons: police do not want to report it because it makes they look bad, victim is ashamed, police over report it because they want to increase their funding, not every single crime is reported to the police

Question 33

How was the UCR developed and how is utilized today?

Answer 33

UCR program was developed in 1929 to generate reliable information for use in law enforcement administration, operation, and management
* Over the years, the UCR Program has been expanded, modified, and enhanced to capture additional data and provide more comprehensive information about crime
* As in today, it collects data on four violent crimes (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, & aggravated assault) and four property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, & arson)

Question 34

What is the impact of the UCR on empirical research and what is the impact that empirical research has on public policy as well as the impact of that policy on social change?

Answer 34

*The impact of the UCR on empirical research is to provide a wealth of data that researchers can use to study crime trends and patterns
* The impact of these policies on social change can be significant, as they can help to reduce crime rates, improve public safety, and promote social justice

Question 35

What is a useful strategy that can help law enforcement agencies identify the root cause of the problems rather than the symptoms of problems?

Answer 35

Problem-oriented policing (POP)

Question 36

List some major challenges to implementing community-oriented policing programs in the field.

Answer 36

• Resistance to change from law enforcement agencies
• Lack of resources
• Lack of community trust in the police
• Lack of support from elected officials
• Organizational culture
• Limited training

Question 37

Why is one of the major concerns about the cost to implement community policing?

Answer 37

It can be expensive

Question 38

Does traditional law enforcement use an autocratic management style that is very task oriented with little input from line officers in the management decision making process?

Answer 38

Yes, which is considered authoritarian

Question 39

The growth of transnational criminal enterprises can be attributed to what factors in the world today?

Answer 39

• globalization
• technological advancements
• corruption
• demand for illegal goods and services
• political instability

Question 40

Describe Community-oriented Policing (COP)

Answer 40

a broad policing strategy that relies heavily on community involvement and partnerships, and on police presence in the community, to address local crime and disorder
* to build trust between law enforcement and community members and the community to prevent crime and promote social justice

Question 41

What do we mean by Problem-oriented Policing (POP)?

Answer 41

It involves breaking down problems into smaller, more manageable components, and then developing targeted responses to each component

Question 42

What was learned about increased preventive police patrols from the 1971 Kansas City Study?

Answer 42

within 15 Kansas City police beats found that decreasing or increasing routine preventive patrol within the range tested had no effect on crime, citizen fear of crime, community attitudes toward the police, the delivery of police service, police response time, or traffic accidents

Question 43

What is the usual result of installing outdoor lighting to high-crime areas?

Answer 43

It can help improve visibility and make potential offenders more visible, which can lead to a reduction in crime

Question 44

Describe problem-oriented policing as a strategy associated with community-oriented policing (COP)

Answer 44

• Both are proactive policing models that focus on preventing crime before it happens rather than just reacting to it after it happens
• Both require cooperation among multiple agencies and partners, including community members
• Both involve the community in defining the problems and identifying interventions

Question 45

What do many straw purchasers that buy guns at legal gun shops in the Southwest U.S. do with them?

Answer 45

They transport them across the border to Mexico, where they’re sold to drug cartels

Question 46

Describe the history of civil rights laws as they apply to hiring practices in law enforcement.

Answer 46

July 12, 1965: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibit an employer or other covered entity from using neutral employment policies and practices that have a negative effect on employees of a particular race, color, religion, sex, etc.

Question 47

Explain current perceptions of police engagement with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and actions that can be taken to improve those relationships

Answer 47

• to engage with the LGBT community is through an LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaison Program
• provide cultural competence training for agency personnel on LGBTQ+ issues
• help in recruiting applicants for the agency
• troubleshoot conflict before it becomes a significant public relations challenge for the agency

Question 48

What are immutable characteristics as they apply to law enforcement hiring practices?

Answer 48

• attributes that are considered impossible or difficult to change > race, national, origin, or gender
• traits in a person’s appearance that are tied to their culture but are changeable aren’t protected and can be used to deny job offers

Question 49

What is police officer discretion and how does it apply to police officer decision making?

Answer 49

Police officer discretion is the power that law enforcement officers have to make decisions in the field based on their judgment and the circumstances of a particular situation
* they’re called upon to make quick decisions in high-pressure situations
* expected to follow departmental policies and procedures (state & federal laws) when making decisions

Question 50

Define nonfeasance as it applies to policing

Answer 50

a police officer’s failure to act when they have a duty to do so

Question 51

What is “noble cause corruption” by police officers?

Answer 51

where police officers use illegal or unethical means to achieve a desirable outcome or “greater good”
* planting or fabricating evidence
* lying on reports or in court
* abusing police authority to make a change stick

Question 52

List at least five methods of accountability for law enforcement officers and organizations.

Answer 52

• Community-based accountability
• Political accountability
• Civil lawsuits
• Criminal prosecutions
• Technology-based accountability

Question 53

Intelligence-led policing (ILP) is a new theory. Explain the operation ILP theory in policing today.

Answer 53

to facilitate crime reduction and prevention through effective policing strategies and external partnership projects

Question 54

What are “electronic control devices” (ECD) commonly called in law enforcement and how long have they been in use?

Answer 54

Commonly known as stun, guns, tasers, or conducted electrical weapons; been used since the 1970s

Question 55

Explain NIBRS and UCR data in law enforcement? Where does it come from?

Answer 55

NIBRS = a crime reporting system that collects detailed data on individual criminal incidents, including information on victims, offenders, and arrestees, as well as the location, time, and nature of the crime
* FBI’s UCR program

UCR = it collects data on crimes reported to law enforcement agencies across the United States and provides a nationwide view of crime trends
* managed by the FBI

Question 56

Describe ALPR technology in law enforcement?

Answer 56

Automated License Plate Reader captures images of license plates and allow law enforcement to identify and compare plates against those of cars driven by people suspected of being involved in illegal activities

Question 57

What is the title of the CJ employees that are tasked with the following: investigating crimes, recording crime, arresting criminal suspects, searching criminal suspects, and interrogating criminal suspects?

Answer 57

Police

Question 58

Define Police Discretion

Answer 58

Is the freedom given to the police officers to make decisions through the use of personal judgement

Question 59

In response to the political dominance, corruption, and lack of training of police officers in the 1920’s, August Vollmer and O.W. Wilson issued in what “era” in policing in the United States?

Answer 59

The Professional Era (Reform Model Era)

Question 60

Public police agencies in the United States are organized via a system dividing crime control among federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies. Which of these four is the largest in terms of total expenditures on law enforcement within the United States?

Answer 60

Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies

Question 61

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Homeland Security

Answer 61

DEA = a federal government agency of the United States that operates under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice and in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Border Patrol
* enforcing controlled substance laws and regulations in the United States

DHS = a cabinet department of the United States federal government with responsibilities in public security
* missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, & disaster prevention and management

Question 62

(DHS) reside within in which of the four levels of the government in the United States

Answer 62

Executive branch

Question 63

How are police departments different from the military model of organization and management?

Answer 63

PD
* responsible for maintaining law and order within the country
* more decentralized (officers discretion)
* goal to serve and protect the community

Military model
* responsible for defending the country against external threats
* organized around a strict hierarchy of command (orders from top-bottom)

Question 64

What are the three primary missions of the police?

Answer 64

• maintain public order and safety
• enforce the law and prevent
• investigate criminal activities

Question 65

Which division of a police department is considered the backbone of policing?

Answer 65

Patrol

Question 66

What are the main roles of the criminal investigation division in a police department?

Answer 66

Is responsible for investigating crimes reviewing every report submitted by a uniform officer to determine if it will be assigned to a detective for further investigation, & coordinating on-scene investigations of major crimes:
* property crimes
* personal crimes
* sex crimes
* death investigations
* drug investigations

Question 67

Explain the concept of proactive policing

Answer 67

Aims to prevent or reduce crime by using prevention methods
* High visibility and public interactions to establish crackdowns, or sudden increases in police activity at places during high crime times