The Criminal Justice System Questions and Answers with Complete Solutions Latest Update Graded A+
federalism - Answers system of government in which power is divided between a central (national)
government and regional (state) government
system - Answers complex whole consisting of interdependent parts whose actions are directed toward
goals and are influenced by the environment within which they function
exchange - Answers mutual transfer of resources; a balance of benefits and deficits that flow from
behavior based on decisions about the values and costs of alternatives
plea bargain - Answers defendant's plea of guilty to a criminal charge with the reasonable expectation of
receiving some consideration from the state for doing so, usually a reduction of the charge; defendant's
ultimate goal is a lighter penalty than the one warranted by the charged offense
discretion - Answers authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, using
instead one's own judgement; allows for individualization and informality in the administration of justice
filtering process - Answers screening operation; a process by which criminal justice officials screen out
some cases while advancing others to the next level of decision making
dual court system - Answers system consisting of separate judicial system for each state in addition to a
national system; each case is tried in the court of the same jurisdiction as that of the law broken
adjudication - Answers process of determining whether the defendant is guilty
arrest - Answers physical taking of a person into custody on the grounds that there is reason to believe
that he or she had committed a criminal offense; police may use only reasonable physical force in
making an arrest; purpose is to hold the accused for a court proceeding
warrant - Answers court order authorizing police officers to take certain actions, for example, to arrest
suspects or to search premises
information - Answers document charging an individual with a specific crime, prepared by a prosecuting
attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing
indictment - Answers document returned by a grand jury as a "true bill" charging an individual with a
specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause as presented by a prosecuting attorney
felonies - Answers serious crimes usually carrying a penalty of death or of incarceration for more than
one year
misdemeanors - Answers offenses less serious than felonies and usually punishable by incarceration of
no more than a year, probation, or intermediate sanction
, crime control model - Answers model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so
important that every effort must be made to repress crime; emphasizes efficiency, speed, finality, and
the capacity to apprehend, try, convict, and dispose of a high proportion of offenders
due process model - Answers model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so important
that every effort must be made to ensure that criminal justice decisions are based on reliable
information; emphasizes adversarial process, rights of defendants, formal decision-making procedures
disparity - Answers difference between groups that may either be explained by legitimate factors or
indicate discrimination
discrimination - Answers differential treatment of individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, or economic status, instead of on their behavior or qualifications
mala in se - Answers offenses that are wrong by their very nature
mala prohibita - Answers offenses prohibited by law but not wrong in themselves
visible crime - Answers offense against persons or property, committed primarily by members of the
lower class; often referred to as "street crime" or "ordinary crime"; this type of offense is most upsetting
to the public
occupational crimes - Answers criminal offenses committed through opportunities created in a legal
business or occupation
organized crime - Answers framework for the perpetuation of criminal acts-usually in fields such as
gambling, drugs, and prostituion-providing illegal services that are in great demand
money laundering - Answers moving the proceeds of criminal activities through a maze of business,
banks, and brokerage accounts so as to disguise their origin
crimes without victims - Answers offenses involving a willing and private exchange of illegal goods and
services that are in strong demand; participants do not feel they are being harmed, but these crimes are
prosecuted on the ground that society as a whole is being injured
political crime - Answers act, usually done for idealogical purposes, that constitutes a threat against the
state (such as treason, sedition, or espionage); also describes a criminal act by the state
cyber crimes - Answers offenses that involve the use of one or more computers
dark figure of crime - Answers metaphor that emphasizes the dangerous dimension of crimes that are
never reported to the police
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) - Answers annually published statical summary of crimes reported to the
police, based on voluntary reports to the FBI by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies
federalism - Answers system of government in which power is divided between a central (national)
government and regional (state) government
system - Answers complex whole consisting of interdependent parts whose actions are directed toward
goals and are influenced by the environment within which they function
exchange - Answers mutual transfer of resources; a balance of benefits and deficits that flow from
behavior based on decisions about the values and costs of alternatives
plea bargain - Answers defendant's plea of guilty to a criminal charge with the reasonable expectation of
receiving some consideration from the state for doing so, usually a reduction of the charge; defendant's
ultimate goal is a lighter penalty than the one warranted by the charged offense
discretion - Answers authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, using
instead one's own judgement; allows for individualization and informality in the administration of justice
filtering process - Answers screening operation; a process by which criminal justice officials screen out
some cases while advancing others to the next level of decision making
dual court system - Answers system consisting of separate judicial system for each state in addition to a
national system; each case is tried in the court of the same jurisdiction as that of the law broken
adjudication - Answers process of determining whether the defendant is guilty
arrest - Answers physical taking of a person into custody on the grounds that there is reason to believe
that he or she had committed a criminal offense; police may use only reasonable physical force in
making an arrest; purpose is to hold the accused for a court proceeding
warrant - Answers court order authorizing police officers to take certain actions, for example, to arrest
suspects or to search premises
information - Answers document charging an individual with a specific crime, prepared by a prosecuting
attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing
indictment - Answers document returned by a grand jury as a "true bill" charging an individual with a
specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause as presented by a prosecuting attorney
felonies - Answers serious crimes usually carrying a penalty of death or of incarceration for more than
one year
misdemeanors - Answers offenses less serious than felonies and usually punishable by incarceration of
no more than a year, probation, or intermediate sanction
, crime control model - Answers model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so
important that every effort must be made to repress crime; emphasizes efficiency, speed, finality, and
the capacity to apprehend, try, convict, and dispose of a high proportion of offenders
due process model - Answers model of the criminal justice system that assumes freedom is so important
that every effort must be made to ensure that criminal justice decisions are based on reliable
information; emphasizes adversarial process, rights of defendants, formal decision-making procedures
disparity - Answers difference between groups that may either be explained by legitimate factors or
indicate discrimination
discrimination - Answers differential treatment of individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, or economic status, instead of on their behavior or qualifications
mala in se - Answers offenses that are wrong by their very nature
mala prohibita - Answers offenses prohibited by law but not wrong in themselves
visible crime - Answers offense against persons or property, committed primarily by members of the
lower class; often referred to as "street crime" or "ordinary crime"; this type of offense is most upsetting
to the public
occupational crimes - Answers criminal offenses committed through opportunities created in a legal
business or occupation
organized crime - Answers framework for the perpetuation of criminal acts-usually in fields such as
gambling, drugs, and prostituion-providing illegal services that are in great demand
money laundering - Answers moving the proceeds of criminal activities through a maze of business,
banks, and brokerage accounts so as to disguise their origin
crimes without victims - Answers offenses involving a willing and private exchange of illegal goods and
services that are in strong demand; participants do not feel they are being harmed, but these crimes are
prosecuted on the ground that society as a whole is being injured
political crime - Answers act, usually done for idealogical purposes, that constitutes a threat against the
state (such as treason, sedition, or espionage); also describes a criminal act by the state
cyber crimes - Answers offenses that involve the use of one or more computers
dark figure of crime - Answers metaphor that emphasizes the dangerous dimension of crimes that are
never reported to the police
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) - Answers annually published statical summary of crimes reported to the
police, based on voluntary reports to the FBI by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies
