Introduction to Criminal Justice - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and landmark cases from the lecture notes on criminal justice.

Individual Rights

The belief in protection of personal freedoms and rights.

Public-Order

The idea that, under certain circumstances involving a criminal threat to public safety, society's interest should take precedence over individual rights.

Civil Justice

A component of social justice concerning fairness between citizens, government agencies, and businesses.

Criminal Justice

Social justice that concerns violations of criminal law; it involves apprehension and punishment of violators and aims to protect the innocent and ensure fair treatment.

Consensus Model

A CJ model assuming a diverse group shares similar morals and views on right and wrong; crimes violate those shared values.

Conflict Model

A CJ model asserting society is diverse and the most powerful groups influence law, often based on class, income, race, and age.

Crime Control Model

A CJ model prioritizing protection from crime, focusing on arrest and incarceration, with harsher sentencing and limited defendant rights.

Law Enforcement

One of the three components of the criminal justice system responsible for policing and investigating crimes.

Courts

One of the three components of the criminal justice system responsible for adjudication and legal proceedings.

Corrections

One of the three components of the criminal justice system responsible for supervising and punishing offenders (e.g., probation, parole, jail, prison).

Federalism

The division of power between the federal government and the states.

Discretion

The authority to make decisions within the law and policy, often exercised by police, prosecutors, and judges.

Ethics

Moral principles that govern a person’s perception of right and wrong.

Administration of Justice

The overall management and operation of the criminal justice system; “truth in action.”

Investigation

The process of gathering information to determine whether a crime has occurred and identify suspects.

Arrest/Warrant

Detaining a person based on probable cause, often supported by a warrant.

Bail/First Appearance

Release from custody on bail and the initial court appearance to address charges.

Preliminary Hearing

A hearing to determine if there is probable cause to proceed with a criminal case.

Grand Jury/Indictment

A grand jury may issue an indictment if probable cause is found; an alternative to a preliminary hearing in some jurisdictions.

Arraignment

The defendant’s formal court appearance to enter a plea.

Adjudication/Trial by Jury

The legal process to determine guilt or innocence, typically by a jury.

Sentencing

The determination of punishment after a conviction.

Probation and Parole; Jail/Prison

Supervision of offenders in the community (probation/parole) and confinement (jail/prison) as punishment or rehabilitation.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 Supreme Court case holding that custodial interrogations require warnings and protections under the Fifth Amendment.

Fifth Amendment

Right against self-incrimination and protection against certain due-process violations.

Custodial Interrogation

Interrogation initiated by law enforcement after a person has been taken into custody or deprived of freedom.

Sixth Amendment

Right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, be informed of charges, confront witnesses, and have counsel.

Right to Counsel

The Sixth Amendment guarantee that a defendant has legal representation; extended to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment (Gideon v. Wainwright).

Gideon v. Wainwright

1963 Supreme Court decision holding the right to counsel is a fundamental right and applies to state courts through the Due Process Clause.

Fourteenth Amendment

Due process and equal protection protections that apply to state actions and laws.

Due Process

Legal principle that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person; safeguards against arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property.

Powell v. Alabama

1932 case recognizing the right to counsel in capital cases, later expanded by Gideon to apply to the states.

Betts v. Brady

1942 case holding that the right to counsel depends on the circumstances; later overruled by Gideon for many cases.

August Vollmer

Early 20th-century police reformer credited with professionalizing American policing and helping establish criminal justice as an academic discipline.

UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting)

FBI crime data program that reports crime rates per 100,000 people; part of official crime statistics history.

NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System)

A modernized crime data collection system that provides incident-based details rather than aggregate counts.

Part I Crimes

Murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson.

Part II Crimes

Other offenses such as simple assault, forgery, fraud, embezzlement, vandalism, weapons violations, drug offenses, DUI, etc.

Dark Figure of Crime

Crimes that go unreported and are not captured in official statistics.

NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey)

A national survey collecting data on crime victims and their experiences, supplementing UCR data.

Evidence-Based Policing

Use of scientific methods and social science research to test policing theories and identify best practices.

Special Categories of Crimes

Crimes focusing on specific areas such as crimes against women, the elderly, hate crimes, cybercrime, white-collar crime, organized crime, gun crime, drug crime, and terrorism.

Purpose of the Criminal Justice System

Maintaining justice, protecting society, determining when an offense has occurred and imposing punishment, rehabilitating offenders, and supporting victims.