SCCJA Legals 1 Key Concepts Study Guide
1. Ethics: study of what is morally right and what is not
2. Motivations for unethical conduct: Anger lust greed peer pressure
3. Common crimes officer commit: False statements, larceny, sex offenses, battery
4. Average experience level of officers who get in ethical dilemmas: 7 years
5. 1st phase of continuum of compromise: Omission
6. Examples of omission: Ignoring traffic violations, failing to conduct follow ups, complete paperwork
7. 2nd phase of continuum of compromise: administrative
8. Examples of administrative unethical conduct: drinking on duty, not reporting accidents
9. 3rd phase of continuum of compromise: criminal
10. Examples of criminal unethical conduct: evidence tampering, thefts
11. 4 justifications for unethical conduct: denial of victim, victim of circumstance, higher cause, victim
blaming
12. Denial of victim: officer believes there's no victim, so no harm done. example- stealing money from drug dealer
13. Victim of circumstance: Officer believes no choice but to act in a certain way
14. Higher cause: Officer believes he must break rules to accomplish goal. example- unlawful search of sexual predator
15. Consequences of unethical conduct: Criminal charges, civil litigation, negative impact on community
relations, disciplinary action, loss of certification, domestic problems
16. Greatest consequence of unethical conduct: officer safety
,17. 2 groups that officers feel pressured by to keep quiet about unethical
conduct: Individuals who commit the act, someone not involved in it
18. 4 consequences officers believe will happen if they don't uphold code of silence:
Officer involved will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be shunned, administration won't do
anything
19. Ways agencies can control code of silence: ethics training, accountability, open communi-cation,
anon reporting, protect officers who come forward
20. 2 ways social media affects law enforcement: agency's image and oflcer's credibility
21. 8 reasons academy can deny certification: conviction of a felony or crime with sentence of more than
1 year, illegal use of controlled substance, excessive force, unsafe firearm or vehicle usage, abuse of public, falsification of employment
info, lying to employer, untruthfulness to employer
22. 4 reasons certification can be revoked: Falsification of certification application, officer found ineligible for
service due to failure to meet prereqs, officer convicted of criminal offense, misconduct
23. Moral turpitude: Anything done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals.
24. Crimes of moral turpitude: fraud larceny intent to harm persons or things
25. Statutory law: enacted by legislature
26. Common law: developed in England from customs and court decisions, adopted by SC in 1712
27. How many felony categories?: 6
28. How many felonies exempt from classification system? And what kind?: 40-Murder,
Homicide by Child Abuse, Burglary 1st, drug trafficking
29. How many misdemeanor categories?: 3
, 30. What misdemeanors are exempt from classification?: Those that carry term of less than 1
year or more than 3
31. Class A Misdemeanor: 3 yrs
32. Class B Misdemeanor: 2 yrs
33. Class C Misdemeanor: 1 yr
34. 2 types of defendants: principal, accessory
35. Types of courts: summary, family, circuit, SC court of appeals, SC supreme court
36. Summary court divisions: magistrate (crimes with $500 fine, 30 days) municipal (city ordinance
violations, civil cases)
37. Circuit Court: Court of General Sessions (criminal), Common Pleas (civil). Bond hearings for death penalty
38. SC Court of Appeals: Court reviews cases, except death penalty
39. SC Supreme Court: Hears Direct Appeals and Writ of Cert
40. Types of Direct Appeals: death penalty murder, public utility, public bond, elections, constitutional questions
41. Order of trying a case: Crime occurs, arrest/bond hearing, prelims, grand jury, arraignment
42. Significance of Prelims: Held by magistrate/municipal judge, determines PC. Requested by defendant within 10
days of bond hearing, state evidence presented, informal and evidence rules don't apply
43. Significance of Grand Jury: 18 jurors, 12 must agree for true bill. Held in secret to determine if enough
evidence for trial
44. Significance of Arraignment: Defendant read rights & pleads after being adv of charge
45. Pleas defendant can enter: guilty nolo contedendere not guilty no plea double jeopardy
1. Ethics: study of what is morally right and what is not
2. Motivations for unethical conduct: Anger lust greed peer pressure
3. Common crimes officer commit: False statements, larceny, sex offenses, battery
4. Average experience level of officers who get in ethical dilemmas: 7 years
5. 1st phase of continuum of compromise: Omission
6. Examples of omission: Ignoring traffic violations, failing to conduct follow ups, complete paperwork
7. 2nd phase of continuum of compromise: administrative
8. Examples of administrative unethical conduct: drinking on duty, not reporting accidents
9. 3rd phase of continuum of compromise: criminal
10. Examples of criminal unethical conduct: evidence tampering, thefts
11. 4 justifications for unethical conduct: denial of victim, victim of circumstance, higher cause, victim
blaming
12. Denial of victim: officer believes there's no victim, so no harm done. example- stealing money from drug dealer
13. Victim of circumstance: Officer believes no choice but to act in a certain way
14. Higher cause: Officer believes he must break rules to accomplish goal. example- unlawful search of sexual predator
15. Consequences of unethical conduct: Criminal charges, civil litigation, negative impact on community
relations, disciplinary action, loss of certification, domestic problems
16. Greatest consequence of unethical conduct: officer safety
,17. 2 groups that officers feel pressured by to keep quiet about unethical
conduct: Individuals who commit the act, someone not involved in it
18. 4 consequences officers believe will happen if they don't uphold code of silence:
Officer involved will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be shunned, administration won't do
anything
19. Ways agencies can control code of silence: ethics training, accountability, open communi-cation,
anon reporting, protect officers who come forward
20. 2 ways social media affects law enforcement: agency's image and oflcer's credibility
21. 8 reasons academy can deny certification: conviction of a felony or crime with sentence of more than
1 year, illegal use of controlled substance, excessive force, unsafe firearm or vehicle usage, abuse of public, falsification of employment
info, lying to employer, untruthfulness to employer
22. 4 reasons certification can be revoked: Falsification of certification application, officer found ineligible for
service due to failure to meet prereqs, officer convicted of criminal offense, misconduct
23. Moral turpitude: Anything done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals.
24. Crimes of moral turpitude: fraud larceny intent to harm persons or things
25. Statutory law: enacted by legislature
26. Common law: developed in England from customs and court decisions, adopted by SC in 1712
27. How many felony categories?: 6
28. How many felonies exempt from classification system? And what kind?: 40-Murder,
Homicide by Child Abuse, Burglary 1st, drug trafficking
29. How many misdemeanor categories?: 3
, 30. What misdemeanors are exempt from classification?: Those that carry term of less than 1
year or more than 3
31. Class A Misdemeanor: 3 yrs
32. Class B Misdemeanor: 2 yrs
33. Class C Misdemeanor: 1 yr
34. 2 types of defendants: principal, accessory
35. Types of courts: summary, family, circuit, SC court of appeals, SC supreme court
36. Summary court divisions: magistrate (crimes with $500 fine, 30 days) municipal (city ordinance
violations, civil cases)
37. Circuit Court: Court of General Sessions (criminal), Common Pleas (civil). Bond hearings for death penalty
38. SC Court of Appeals: Court reviews cases, except death penalty
39. SC Supreme Court: Hears Direct Appeals and Writ of Cert
40. Types of Direct Appeals: death penalty murder, public utility, public bond, elections, constitutional questions
41. Order of trying a case: Crime occurs, arrest/bond hearing, prelims, grand jury, arraignment
42. Significance of Prelims: Held by magistrate/municipal judge, determines PC. Requested by defendant within 10
days of bond hearing, state evidence presented, informal and evidence rules don't apply
43. Significance of Grand Jury: 18 jurors, 12 must agree for true bill. Held in secret to determine if enough
evidence for trial
44. Significance of Arraignment: Defendant read rights & pleads after being adv of charge
45. Pleas defendant can enter: guilty nolo contedendere not guilty no plea double jeopardy
