SCCJA SPECIAL BASIC STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2026 | Complete
Review Pack | A+
• 1776 -✓✓Colonists declared independence from England
• 1787 -✓✓Begin to produce the US Constitution
• 1788 -✓✓US Constitution was ratified
• 1791 -✓✓Bill of Rights was ratified
• Article 6 -✓✓Supremacy Clause
• Three parts of the US Constitution -✓✓Preamble, Articles, Amendments
• Legislative Power -✓✓Makes laws
• Executive Power -✓✓Enforce laws, police officers
• Judicial Power -✓✓Interpret laws
• Amendment 1 -✓✓Free speech/Establishment Clause
• Amendment 4 -✓✓Right of the people to be secure in their persons, papers, and
effects
• Amendment 5 -✓✓due process, double jeopardy; self incrimination
• Amendment 6 -✓✓Right to a speedy trial
• Amendment 8 -✓✓No excessive bail, fines
No cruel and unusual punishment
• Amendment 14 -✓✓Due Process (Fair Process)
Right to a FAIR hearing
• Supreme Court -✓✓Court of Last Resort from which there is no appeal
• writ of certiorari -✓✓petition to the Supreme Court
, • Case Law -✓✓body of prior judicial decisions that guide judges in deciding issues
• Murder -✓✓killing of any person with malice aforethought, either expressed or implied
• Basic mission of law enforcement -✓✓crime prevention
• How many district courts are there? -✓✓94 district courts
• Which circuit is South Carolina? -✓✓4th circuit
• Circuit Court-Trial Level -✓✓Civil- Common please
Criminal-General sessions
• Common Law -✓✓came from England, was the initial source of law
• Statutory Law -✓✓written and approved by the legislative branch
• 6th Amendment -✓✓Rights of the accused in a criminal trial
• Reasonable Suspicion -✓✓Stopping a person to investigate
• Probable Cause -✓✓Arresting a person for a crime
• Stages of a criminal case in South Carolina -✓✓Crime occurs if the punishment
exceeds $500 and 30 days in jail
Arrest/Bond Hearing
Preliminary Hearing
Grand Jury
Arraignments
• NOL PROS (NOLLE PROSEQUI) -✓✓Dismissed without prejudice
Charge can be brought at a late date
• Pre-Trial and Plea hearings -✓✓Can happen at any time in this process, AFTER the
arrest and bond setting
• Judge
Jury
Solicitor
Defense Attorney
Clerk of court
Court reporter
Baliff -✓✓Decides questions of LAW (rules of evidence and procedure)
Decides QUESTIONS of FACTS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2026 | Complete
Review Pack | A+
• 1776 -✓✓Colonists declared independence from England
• 1787 -✓✓Begin to produce the US Constitution
• 1788 -✓✓US Constitution was ratified
• 1791 -✓✓Bill of Rights was ratified
• Article 6 -✓✓Supremacy Clause
• Three parts of the US Constitution -✓✓Preamble, Articles, Amendments
• Legislative Power -✓✓Makes laws
• Executive Power -✓✓Enforce laws, police officers
• Judicial Power -✓✓Interpret laws
• Amendment 1 -✓✓Free speech/Establishment Clause
• Amendment 4 -✓✓Right of the people to be secure in their persons, papers, and
effects
• Amendment 5 -✓✓due process, double jeopardy; self incrimination
• Amendment 6 -✓✓Right to a speedy trial
• Amendment 8 -✓✓No excessive bail, fines
No cruel and unusual punishment
• Amendment 14 -✓✓Due Process (Fair Process)
Right to a FAIR hearing
• Supreme Court -✓✓Court of Last Resort from which there is no appeal
• writ of certiorari -✓✓petition to the Supreme Court
, • Case Law -✓✓body of prior judicial decisions that guide judges in deciding issues
• Murder -✓✓killing of any person with malice aforethought, either expressed or implied
• Basic mission of law enforcement -✓✓crime prevention
• How many district courts are there? -✓✓94 district courts
• Which circuit is South Carolina? -✓✓4th circuit
• Circuit Court-Trial Level -✓✓Civil- Common please
Criminal-General sessions
• Common Law -✓✓came from England, was the initial source of law
• Statutory Law -✓✓written and approved by the legislative branch
• 6th Amendment -✓✓Rights of the accused in a criminal trial
• Reasonable Suspicion -✓✓Stopping a person to investigate
• Probable Cause -✓✓Arresting a person for a crime
• Stages of a criminal case in South Carolina -✓✓Crime occurs if the punishment
exceeds $500 and 30 days in jail
Arrest/Bond Hearing
Preliminary Hearing
Grand Jury
Arraignments
• NOL PROS (NOLLE PROSEQUI) -✓✓Dismissed without prejudice
Charge can be brought at a late date
• Pre-Trial and Plea hearings -✓✓Can happen at any time in this process, AFTER the
arrest and bond setting
• Judge
Jury
Solicitor
Defense Attorney
Clerk of court
Court reporter
Baliff -✓✓Decides questions of LAW (rules of evidence and procedure)
Decides QUESTIONS of FACTS
