Chapter 1 Vocabulary Flashcards – Criminal Justice (Intro & Trends)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 1 notes on the nature of crime, fairness, major historical trends, conflicts between rights and public safety, and the criminal justice process.

Crime

Conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction, for which there is no legally acceptable justification or excuse.

Procedural fairness

The process by which decisions that feel fair to those involved are made.

Procedural justice

The application of procedural fairness to the criminal justice system.

War on drugs

A policy during the 1980s emphasizing strict enforcement to reduce illicit drug use.

Get tough on crime era

The 1990s era characterized by harsher penalties and crime-control policies.

USA PATRIOT Act

A 2001 law that increases investigatory authority of federal, state, and local police agencies.

Sarbanes–Oxley Act

Early 2000s legislation focusing on corporate accountability and governance to deter fraud.

Madoff’s Ponzi scheme

A famed Ponzi scheme run by Bernie Madoff causing massive financial fraud.

Mass shootings (2012–2018)

A period noted for mass shootings and urban violence, with declines in some traditional crimes.

Cybercrimes

Crimes committed using the Internet or digital technologies; threaten national security.

Due process

Procedural fairness; rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and protected in the justice system.

Fourth Amendment

Constitutional amendment guaranteeing due process-related rights, including protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Fifth Amendment

Constitutional amendment protecting against self-incrimination and providing due process safeguards.

Sixth Amendment

Constitutional amendment guaranteeing rights related to a fair trial (e.g., counsel).

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment guaranteeing due process and equal protection, applying rights to the states.

Individual Rights vs. Public Order

Debate: 1960s civil rights emphasis on individual rights vs. 21st-century view of offenders as social predators.

Individual-Rights Advocates

Advocates who seek to protect personal freedoms within society and the criminal justice process.

Public-Order Advocates

Advocates who prioritize society’s safety over individual rights under certain threats.

Justice

The principle of fairness; the ideal of moral equity.

Social justice

An ideal embracing all aspects of civilized life, linked to fairness and right/wrong.

Civil justice

Fairness in relationships between citizens, government agencies, and private matters.

Criminal justice

The aspects of social justice that concern violations of the criminal law.

Administration of justice

The performance of basic activities within the criminal justice system.

Consensus Model

Model where justice system components work together to achieve justice; often contested as overly cohesive.

Conflict Model

Model where justice results from competition and conflict between system components.

Investigation

Evidence collection, reconstruction of the crime, and suspect identification.

Arrest warrant

A judge-issued document giving police authority to apprehend a suspect.

Arrest

The act of taking a person into custody; arrestee’s freedom is temporarily restricted.

Booking

Process of recording an arrestee’s personal information, photographs, and fingerprints.

Information

Prosecutor-filed document seeking to continue a case in court.