Deck 9: Courts and Crime

Question 1

Courts of ______ do not have any restrictions on the types of cases that they can hear.

A)limited jurisdiction
B)subject matter jurisdiction
C)general jurisdiction
D)original jurisdiction

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Appellate courts use a ______ to render a decision.

A)jury
B)prosecutor
C)judge
D)district attorney

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Criminal law requires that a criminal court satisfy a burden of proof of ______.

A)beyond a reasonable doubt
B)clear and convincing evidence
C)probable cause
D)preponderance of the evidence

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Courts of ______ are concerned with issues of law and whether there were errors made by the trial court.

A)general jurisdiction
B)appellate jurisdiction
C)original jurisdiction
D)subject matter jurisdiction

Question 5

______ is jurisdiction of a court based on the type of case that it is allowed to hear.

A)Limited jurisdiction
B)Subject matter jurisdiction
C)General jurisdiction
D)Original jurisdiction

Question 6

The burden of proof in civil courts is ______.

A)beyond a reasonable doubt
B)clear and convincing evidence
C)probable cause
D)preponderance of the evidence

Question 7

In criminal court, who can file the first appeal?

A)the prosecutor
B)the accused
C)both the prosecutor and the accused
D)no one

Question 8

Within the federal system, most judges are appointed by ______.

A)constituents
B)the president
C)Congress
D)Supreme Court justices

Question 9

The Boston Marathon bombing case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is an example of ______ jurisdiction.

A)geographical
B)dual
C)general
D)concurrent

Question 10

Courts of ______ handle misdemeanor cases.

A)limited jurisdiction
B)subject-matter jurisdiction
C)general jurisdiction
D)original jurisdiction

Question 11

A criminal case begins in a court of ______ or a trial court, where a case is heard for the first time.

A)limited jurisdiction
B)subject matter jurisdiction
C)general jurisdiction
D)original jurisdiction

Question 12

______ courts are concerned with issues of fact.

A)Municipal
B)Trial
C)Appellate
D)Supreme

Question 13

The jurisdiction for the federal court system covers _____.

A)50 states
B)only D.C.
C)U.S.territories
D)all 50 states, U.S.territories, and D.C.

Question 14

When acts are illegal under both federal law and state law, this is referred to as ______ jurisdiction.

A)geographical
B)dual
C)general
D)concurrent

Question 15

The court system in the United States is based upon a ______ system.

A)autonomy
B)concurrent court
C)separation court
D)dual court

Question 16

Which of the following is the correct presentation of a state criminal court case in the state of New York?

A)State of New York v.Amber Roberts
B)Amber Roberts v.State of New York
C)United States of America v.Amber Roberts
D)Roberts v.New York

Question 17

The most common type of criminal act is a violation of ______ law.

A)local
B)state
C)federal
D)civil

Question 18

John was arrested by local police for trespassing on private property.His case would most likely be heard in a ______ court.

A)municipal
B)district
C)state
D)federal

Question 19

In order to know if the court has ______ jurisdiction, we need to know what type of law was broken.

A)concurrent
B)geographical
C)venue
D)district

Question 20

The term for a federal court judge is ______.

A)two years
B)four years
C)eight years
D)life

Question 21

Historical data shows that the majority of the U.S.Supreme Court justices have been identified as ______.

A)Hispanic
B)male
C)Catholic
D)liberal

Question 22

The term for Supreme Court justices is for ______.

A)two years
B)four years
C)eight years
D)life

Question 23

Which of the following refers to cases where the appellate court must hear?

A)appeals by right
B)writs of certiorari
C)allocution
D)nolo contendere

Question 24

The most common offense heard by U.S.District Courts involves ______.

A)immigration
B)drugs
C)murder
D)sexual assault

Question 25

______ are intermediate courts that hear cases of law from the U.S.district courts or from the federal administrative courts.

A)The appellate courts
B)The Supreme Courts
C)The municipal courts
D)The magistrate courts

Question 26

U.S.Magistrates Courts are courts of ______.

A)general jurisdiction
B)limited jurisdiction
C)appellate jurisdiction
D)original jurisdiction

Question 27

A hearing of the full bench of a U.S.circuit court is referred to as ______.

A)voir dire
B)allocution
C)en banc
D)amicus curiae

Question 28

The majority of cases involving criminal matters are heard in the ______ courts.

A)trial
B)municipal
C)appellate
D)family

Question 29

U.S.Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the ______.

A)House of Representatives
B)Senate
C)chief justice
D)state governments

Question 30

The majority of state court cases are heard by ______.

A)original jurisdiction courts
B)limited-jurisdiction courts
C)geographic jurisdiction courts
D)subject-matter jurisdiction courts

Question 31

The first level of courts in the federal system is the ______.

A)U.S.Supreme Court
B)U.S.Circuit Courts
C)U.S.District Courts
D)U.S.Magistrates Courts

Question 32

An opinion that is written by a justice who disagrees with the majority decision is referred to as a ______.

A)majority opinion
B)concurring opinion
C)dissenting opinion
D)minority opinion

Question 33

An opinion that is provided by the court that agrees with the outcome of the majority but has different reasons for the decision is referred to as a ______.

A)majority opinion
B)concurring opinion
C)dissenting opinion
D)minority opinion

Question 34

U.S.District Courts are courts of ______.

A)general jurisdiction
B)limited jurisdiction
C)appellate jurisdiction
D)original jurisdiction

Question 35

______ are documents that are submitted by the parties in an appellate case that outlines their legal arguments.

A)Writs of certiorari
B)Briefs
C)Amicus curiae's
D)Oral arguments

Question 36

The ______ is considered to be an ancillary member of the court.

A)probation/parole officer
B)clerk of the court
C)judge
D)victim

Question 37

In the ______ plan, candidates are nominated by a citizen committee and selected by either the governor or the head of the state's judicial system.After a year, a retention election is held.

A)Missouri
B)California
C)New York
D)Kentucky

Question 38

Magistrate courts generally hear which of the following types of cases?

A)misdemeanor
B)civil
C)status offenses
D)felony

Question 39

Magistrate judges are selected by the district court judiciary and serve a term of ______.

A)two years
B)four years
C)eight years
D)life

Question 40

A petition to the U.S.Supreme Court to hear a case is known as a ______.

A)brief
B)voir dire
C)writ of certiorari
D)amicus curiae

Question 41

The official declaration that there is probable cause to charge the accused with a crime is referred to as a(n) ______.

A)verdict
B)indictment
C)plea bargain
D)brief

Question 42

Who is tasked with bringing the case to court?

A)police officer
B)defense attorney
C)judge
D)prosecutor

Question 43

The ______ Amendment of the constitution states that persons who have been accused of a crime have the right to an attorney to assist in their defense.

A)First
B)Fourth
C)Sixth
D)Eighth

Question 44

Evidence that is favorable to the defense and may exonerate a defendant from any criminal wrongdoing is referred to as ______.

A)direct
B)mitigating
C)exculpatory
D)circumstantial

Question 45

Prosecutors are responsible for ______.

A)being the primary decision-maker throughout the process
B)determining bail for the accused
C)ruling on pretrial motions
D)negotiating plea bargains with the defendants

Question 46

Who decides whether probable cause exists in a case?

A)police officer
B)defense attorney
C)judge
D)prosecutor

Question 47

Which of the following cases ruled that prosecutors must disclose any exculpatory evidence to the defense?

A)Missouri v.Frye
B)Brady v.Maryland
C)Gideon v.Wainwright
D)Batson v.Kentucky

Question 48

______ refers to evidence that requires the jury to make some sort of inference about the defendant's involvement in the crime.

A)Mitigating evidence
B)Exculpatory evidence
C)Direct evidence
D)Circumstantial evidence

Question 49

The ruling in the _____ landmark Supreme Court case was that defendants are entitled to an attorney if they are accused on a crime.If they cannot afford an attorney, they will be appointed one by the government.

A)Mapp v.Ohio (1961)
B)Katz v.United States (1967)
C)Gideon v.Wainwright (1963)
D)Batson v.Kentucky (1986)

Question 50

The process of questioning by the prosecutor and the defense attorney that issued to select a trial jury is referred to as ______.

A)voir dire
B)nullification
C)indictment
D)allocution

Question 51

Which of the following players in the courtroom is tasked with representing the larger community and their needs?

A)prosecutor
B)defense attorney
C)judge
D)police officer

Question 52

Each side has a limited number of ______ whereby each attorney can reject a juror without having to give a specific reason.

A)peremptory challenges
B)challenges for cause
C)unqualified jurors
D)constitutional challenges

Question 53

The ______ is an ancillary member who manages all of the paperwork for the courtroom and works closely with the judge.

A)clerk
B)court report
C)judge
D)bailiff

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of prosecutorial misconduct?

A)perjured testimony
B)turning over exculpatory evidence
C)restating the law
D)disclosing preferential treatment to a jailhouse informant

Question 55

______ is any evidence that serves to either explain the defendant's involvement in the crime or reduce his or her potential sentence.

A)Direct
B)Mitigating
C)Exculpatory
D)Circumstantial

Question 56

A ______ is granted in cases where the court believes that a potential juror may be unfair or biased in their decision-making.

A)peremptory challenge
B)challenge for cause
C)unqualified juror
D)constitutional challenge

Question 57

Which of the following occurs when a defendant appears before the court and publicly admits involvement in the crime?

A)arraignment
B)nolo contendere
C)allocution
D)preventive detention

Question 58

______ refers to evidence that is directly linked to the defendant's involvement in the crime.

A)Mitigating evidence
B)Exculpatory evidence
C)Direct evidence
D)Circumstantial evidence

Question 59

The ______ is an option for the court to establish whether probable cause exists for the case to move forward.

A)grand jury
B)arraignment
C)first appearance
D)preliminary hearing.

Question 60

A no-contest plea in which the defendant does not admit guilt but accepts responsibility is known as ______.

A)arraignment
B)nolo contendere
C)allocution
D)preventive detention

Question 61

For the majority of states, the appellate level is divided into intermediate courts of appeals as well as a court of last resort, also known as the state supreme court.

Question 62

Jurisdiction determined by the physical location of a crime is referred to as concurrent jurisdiction.

Question 63

While federal law applies to all 50 states, state law applies only to the jurisdiction of that particular state.

Question 64

U.S.district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction.

Question 65

Magistrate judges are the only judges in the federal system who are appointed in a manner that is different from other federal judicial appointments.

Question 66

Criminal law requires that a criminal court satisfy a burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt.

Question 67

Prosecutorial misconduct can include behaviors such as the use of perjured testimony, failing to disclose preferential treatment to a jailhouse informant, or misstating the law to the jury which impacted their decision-making process.

Question 68

Appellate jurisdiction refers to the level of the courts that is concerned with issues of law and whether an error was made by the trial court.

Question 69

The term en banc means that the full bench hears the case.

Question 70

The first U.S.Supreme Court was established in 1789 with nine members: a Chief Justice and eight associate justices.

Question 71

Courts of limited jurisdiction handle misdemeanor cases.

Question 72

A historical review of the U.S.Supreme Court finds that 80% of the justices have been White, male, and Catholic.

Question 73

Courts of general jurisdiction do not have any restrictions on the types of cases that they can hear.

Question 74

Appeals by permission involve cases where the appellate court must hear.

Question 75

In order for a case to reach the Supreme Court, it has to exhaust all of its appeals in the lower courts.Then they must petition the Court to hear the case.This is called a writ of certiorari.

Question 76

The prosecutor in Michael Morton's case withheld physical evidence that could have cast doubt in Morton's guilt from the start.This is an example of ______.

A)allocution
B)prosecutorial misconduct
C)nullification
D)voir dire

Question 77

The dual court system explains how the state and federal court systems work in separate, yet similar fashions.

Question 78

Michael Morton's wrongful conviction rested on what type of evidence?

A)direct
B)exculpatory
C)mitigating
D)circumstantial

Question 79

Cases can only be a violation of criminal law or civil law, not both.

Question 80

Which of the following statements is consistent with the argument that plea bargaining should be abolished or limited?

A)Plea bargains short-circuit the truth-finding process.
B)Plea bargains enable the courts to handle huge and continually increasing caseloads.
C)Plea bargains allow victims and witnesses the chance to avoid trauma.
D)Plea bargains provide certainty and finality to the criminal justice process.