Criminal Justice and Government Structure Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts in criminal justice, court hierarchy, law enforcement jurisdictions, and types of crime based on lecture notes.

Supreme Court

The highest judicial body that has the last say on laws, consisting of a chief justice and associate judges.

Governor

The official executive who serves as the boss of the state.

State Crime

Crimes defined by state laws, such as killing someone; animal killing can only be a federal crime if related to their sale.

Federal Law Enforcement

Police officers who have jurisdiction to arrest individuals anywhere in the country.

Extraktion (Extradition)

The legal process of sending an offender back to the location where they committed the crime.

United States Marshal Services

The oldest federal agency, established in $1789$.

City Council

The local municipal body that makes the rules for a city.

Mayor

The official leader or boss of the city.

Sheriff

The only elected policeman in local jurisdiction, elected every $4$ years, who cannot be removed unless they die.

Social Contract

An agreement made with society.

Unreported Crime Rate

The statistic that 67\text{\t} of crime is never reported, with domestic violence being barely reported.

Motor Vehicle Theft

The theft of a motor vehicle, which most commonly occurs while parked.

Property Crime

Non-violent crime involving property, categorized into petty (small) and grand.

Burglary

The unlawful entry of someone's property without permission, categorized as residential burglary (where someone lives) or commercial burglary (a store containing valuable items).

Robbery

The act of taking property directly from someone.

Public Order Crime

Offenses that disrupt public order, including public drunkenness, prostitution, and gambling (which requires a license and is permitted in some states).

White-Collar Crime

The crime of stealing money that an individual is entrusted to protect or stealing directly from an employer.

Cyber Crime

The act of stealing property or information and lying about it through digital or electronic means.

Criminal Justice

The system dedicated to maintaining justice and protecting society.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that guarantees equality under the law and equal treatment.

Federalism

A system of government where powers are shared between the national federal government and state governments, allowing different states to establish different rules.

Corrections

The system phase where a judge decides the sentence or sanction for an offender, such as probation.