Ch 12 Criminal Justice

How do violent crime levels today compare to those in the early 1990s?

• Violent crime is worse now than ever before.

• Violent crime is slightly higher than it was in the early 1990s.

• Violent crime is slightly lower than it was in the early 1990s.

• Violent crime is considerably lower than it was in the early 1990s.

If you wanted to live in a place very close to the national average in property crime, when would Texas have best suited your interests?

• The 1980s

• The 1990s

• The 2000s

• The 2010s

Which of the following statements about the above crime data is true?

• In Texas, crime was worse in 2020 than ever before.

• Nationally, both property and violent crime have declined every year since 1991.

• Texas has always had more property and violent crime that any other state.

• Nationally, both property and violent crime levels were lower in 2020 than they had been in 2000.

Which of the following types of crimes is most likely to produce the longest prison sentence?

• Misdemeanor

• Civil offense

• Felony

• Contempt of court

Has the crime of the hypothetical law been committed?

• Yes, all the elements of the law are met.

• Yes, most but not all of the elements of the law are met.

• No, not all of the elements of the law are met.

• No, even though the elements have all been met, a balanced analysis says it would not be a crime.

Which of these would be the hardest to objectively prove?

• Whether a street was a public street (as opposed to a private street).

• Whether the entity who committed the act was a person.

• Whether the person committed the act knowingly.

• Whether it was a Sunday when the act occurred.

"A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual." Which of these elements is the mens rea or mental state component of the law?

• "causes the death"

• "an individual"

• "a person"

• "intentionally or knowingly"

The Terry v.  Ohio decision by the Supreme Court decided what law enforcement policy?

• When a suspect can be interrogated without an attorney.

• What police should do with evidence collected.

• How much evidence is needed to convict an arsonist.

• When a police officer can stop and frisk a person.

Which of the following is a goal of the bail system?

• To incentivize the defendant to appear at their court dates.

• To punish the defendant for their actions.

• To extract fees for the costs the state pays in housing them during pre-trial detention.

• To make it so that the rich and poor are equally able to exercise their rights.

Which of the following is a common criticism of the plea bargain system?

• It creates far too many trials.

• It puts the bar too high to prove someone committed a crime.

• It often allows the state to obtain convictions without proving their case due to the pressure of significant charges.

• It unfairly punishes wealthy defendants.