The Court System Final Exam

True or False: The right to a speedy trial is guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment.

False

True or False: Prosecutors and defense attorneys are permitted an unlimited amount of challenges for cause.

False

True or False: Using peremptory challenges to create a racially distinct jury in hopes of excluding other races is unconstitutional.

True

True or False: The ancient Greeks were the first to use juries in world history.

True

True or False: Being selected for jury duty being with a list of potential jurors called a venire.

True

True or False: In earlier times, common-law juries had the responsibility of investigating crimes and conducting trials of accused persons.

True

True or False: In the United States, Women were never excluded from jury service.

False

True or False: Booking is an administrative procedure designed to gather background information about criminal suspects.

True

True or False: Initial appearances are the equivalent of criminal trials.

False

True or False: Guarantee to a speedy trial is a key provision of the Fifth Amendment.

False

True or False: Everyone charged with a crime is entitled to bail.

False

True or False: Excessive bail is prohibited under the Eighth Amendment.

True

True or False: The Bail Reform Act of 1984 was passed to give judges greater autonomy in bail decision making.

True

True or False: Bounty hunters typically go after persons who jump bail.

True

True or False: A bench trial is where a judge decides the case.

True

True or False: Plea bargaining occurs in the U.S. in about 90% of all criminal cases.

True

True or False: Plea bargaining involves entering a guilty plea in exchange for some form of leniency from prosecutors and judges.

True

True or False: Plea bargaining is a formal trial proceeding.

False

True or False: Plea bargaining means that one does not acquire a criminal record.

False

True or False: Plea bargaining is thought to be coercive.

True

True or False: Charge-reduction bargaining is initiated by the prosecutor.

True

True or False: Plea bargaining does not avoid habitual offender statues.

False

Indictments are handed down by:

Grand Juries

Speedy trials are not always obtained by defendants because of:

All of the above

Juries are selected from lists called:

The venire process

The minimum number of jury members in any criminal trial in any state court is:

6

In order to select potential jurors, most jurisdictions do not use:

Telephone books

Unlimited number of challenges may be used by defense attorneys to excuse jurors who are:

Biased

Limited numbers of challengers where both sides may excuse jurors for any reason without having to give the reason to the judge are called:

Peremptory challenges

Which of the following would excuse you from jury duty in most jurisdictions?

Prior conviction for a felony

The first people to use juries in the world were the:

Greeks

An arrest of a criminal suspect is preceded by:

Probable cause

Defendants are first advised of criminal charges against them following their arrest during a proceeding known as a(n):

Arraignment

Bail may be denied under the following circumstances:

All of the above

Low cash bail bonds are almost always permitted when someone is accused of a(n):

Misdemeanor

Persons who are released from jail pending a subsequent trial and are not required to post bail are said to be:

Released on their own recognizance

When someone flees the jurisdiction to escape prosecution for a crime, it is said that they have:

Jumped bail

A trial date is set at the:

Arraignment

An initial appearance usually follows:

An arrest

Persons charged with felonies are entitled to:

Unlimited peremptory challenges

The objective of the exclusionary rule is intended to limit or prevent:

All of the above

Eyewitnesses are known for their:

Errors in perception

Explaining court procedures to witnesses and notifying them of court dates are critical function of:

Voir dires

When prosecutors are defense counsels make statements to the jury at the conclusion of a criminal case, this is known as:

Summation

Children’s memories of traumatic events are often:

Distorted

When judges ask individual jurors how they voted following jury deliberations, this is known as:

Polling the jurors

Mistrials are declared where jurors:

Cannot agree on a verdict

The result of a jury deliberation may be:

All of the above

Once a jury has deliberated and rendered a verdict, either side:

May appeal

If plea bargaining is rejected by a defendant and the defendant goes to court and loses the case through a jury trial, the sentence received from the judge compared with what would have been received through the plea bargain is usually:

More severe

Threatening a defendant with more serious criminal charges (for which the prosecutor has evidence) if the defendant does not plead guilty to a lesser charge is:

Constitutional

What percent of criminal convictions are obtained through plea bargaining?

90%

One thing judges must ask defendants during plea agreement hearings is whether the defendant:

Entered the plea voluntarily

Plea bargaining is banned in:

Alaska

One argument in favor of plea bargaining is that plea bargaining:

Reduces the sheer number of trials

Plea bargaining is opposed because:

All of the above

Judicial plea bargaining is initiated largely by

Judges

Considering the cost of plea bargaining, plea bargaining is:

Less expensive

Chachi, a smooth defense attorney, tells Aaron the wing guy, a strict prosecutor, “Look, Aaron, my client, Sneaky, will plead guilty to one count of criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, if you throw out all other charges, including 16 felonies, and if you ask the judge for leniency for my client.” Aaron agrees. This most closely resembles:

Charge reductions bargaining

Some of the positive aspects of plea bargaining include:

All of the above

Pre-sentence investigation reports used in plea agreement proceedings are:

Informative

If a prosecutor makes a promise, such as recommending to the judge a reduced sentence for an offender who pleads guilty to a lesser charge, there is an obligation on the part of the prosecutor to:

Fulfill the promise made to the defendant