Criminal Justice and Crime Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core terms, models, definitions, and mental states from criminal justice and law lecture notes.

Criminal Justice Myths

Common misunderstandings about crime, criminals, policing, courts, and corrections that may not match reality.

Consensus View of Society

A paradigm stating that society is made up of like-minded individuals who agree on important goals and values.

Conflict View of Society

A paradigm stating that society is made up of competing interests, and the law can be used to advance the interests of people in power.

Social Construction of Crime

The concept that what society considers a crime is influenced by laws, social values, and decisions about what behavior should be illegal.

Violent Crime

Crime involving force or the threat of force against another person.

Property Crime

Crime involving taking, damaging, or interfering with someone else's property.

Public-Order Crime

Crime involving behavior considered harmful to the public order or community.

White-Collar Crime

Crime generally involving financial or occupational wrongdoing.

Cybercrime

Crime involving computers, digital technology, or computer networks.

Due Process Model

A criminal justice model created by Herbert Packer that focuses on fairness, protecting the innocent, and limiting government power.

Obstacle Course Justice

A system concept associated with the Due Process Model that creates numerous obstacles and protections to prevent errors and wrongful convictions.

Crime Control Model

A criminal justice model created by Herbert Packer that focuses on punishment, apprehension, conviction, and repression of criminal conduct.

Assembly Line Justice

A system concept associated with the Crime Control Model that processes criminal cases quickly and efficiently to promote finality of convictions.

Discretion

Making decisions based on judgment in particular situations.

Police Discretion

Decisions made by police officers regarding when to stop, search, or arrest someone.

Prosecutor Discretion

Decisions made by prosecutors regarding whether to bring criminal charges.

Judge Discretion

Decisions made by judges regarding sentencing a convicted person.

Police

The component of the criminal justice system tasked with preventing crime and responding to crime when it occurs.

Courts

The component of the criminal justice system tasked with determining whether an accused person is guilty or innocent and imposing a sentence if guilty.

Corrections

The component of the criminal justice system tasked with supervising convicted individuals and ensuring they fulfill their sentences.

Code of Hammurabi

An ancient legal code associated with Lex Talionis, or 'an eye for an eye.'

Lex Talionis

The principle of proportional punishment, commonly expressed as 'an eye for an eye.'

English Common Law

A medieval legal system that influenced the American criminal justice system.

Stare Decisis

A legal principle meaning 'Let the decision stand.'

Precedent

A ruling from a previous case that can be used as guidance in later cases.

Jurisprudence

Examining past legal decisions and comparing and contrasting them.

Federalism

A system in which governmental power is divided between the federal government and state governments.

Jurisdiction

The legal authority of a court or government official to apply the law, hear cases, and make judgments.

Hierarchy of Law

The structure showing which laws have greater legal authority over others.

Criminal Law

Law concerned with guilt and offenses against society, prosecuted by the government against a defendant under a burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in punishment.

Civil Law

Law concerned with liability and resolving disputes between a plaintiff and defendant under a preponderance of the evidence, resulting in compensation or damages.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

The high burden of proof used in criminal cases.

Preponderance of the Evidence

The burden of proof used in civil cases.

Actus Reus

The guilty act or physical element of a crime, which can occur as a voluntary act, possession, or omission.

Mens Rea

The guilty mind or mental element of a crime.

Concurrency

Having both Actus Reus and Mens Rea at the same time, creating criminal liability.

First-Degree Murder

Intentional killing.

Second-Degree Murder

Murder committed while acting as a principal or accomplice in the perpetration of an offense.

Third-Degree Murder

Murder without premeditated or specific intent to kill.

Strict Liability Crimes

Crimes that do not require Mens Rea to be established, such as statutory rape, felony murder, selling alcohol to a minor, and traffic offenses.

Felony

A serious offense punishable by death or a possible sentence of 1 or more years of incarceration.

Misdemeanor

A less serious offense punishable by a fine or incarceration for less than one year.

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

An official source of crime statistics established in the 1930s and compiled by the FBI from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

A system for collecting crime information based on individual incidents and details about those incidents.

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

A crime measurement system based on information reported by crime victims.

Part I Offenses

A UCR category consisting of homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft.

Part II Offenses

A UCR category consisting of simple assault, forgery/fraud, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, sex offenses/prostitution, and drug abuse.

Dark Figure of Crime

Crime that is not reported or included in official crime statistics.

Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR)

A UCR source that provides detailed information about homicide cases.

Acquittal

A not-guilty decision.

Adjudication

The legal process of resolving a case.

Conviction

A judgment that a defendant is guilty.

Indictment

A formal accusation that a person committed a crime.

Substantive Criminal Law

Laws defining crimes and punishments.

Motive

The reason someone commits an act.

Robbery

Taking property from another person through force or threat.

Aggravated Assault

A serious assault involving circumstances that make the offense more severe.

Sexual Assault

Sexual contact or conduct without consent.

Burglary

Unlawfully entering a building with intent to commit a crime.

Larceny/Theft

Unlawfully taking someone else's property.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Taking a motor vehicle without permission.

Crime Rate

A measurement of crime in relation to a population.

Hierarchy Rule

A rule concerning the order/ranking of laws or offenses.

Index Crimes

Major offenses used to measure crime in traditional UCR reporting.

Intentionally (PA Culpable Mental State)

A Pennsylvania culpable mental state where one's conscious object or purpose is to engage in conduct or cause a result ('Conscious object').

Knowingly (PA Culpable Mental State)

A Pennsylvania culpable mental state where one is aware that conduct will cause a result or that certain circumstances exist ('Practically certain').

Recklessly (PA Culpable Mental State)

A Pennsylvania culpable mental state where one consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a material element exists or will result ('Disregarding known risk').

Negligently (PA Culpable Mental State)

A Pennsylvania culpable mental state where one should be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a material element exists or will result ('Should be aware').