Deck 14: Liability And Ethics: Is It Legal? Is It Moral?

Question 1

There are approximately _______ civil suits filed against law enforcement each year.

A) 10,000
B) 20,000
C) 30,000
D) 40,000

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A lie under oath is known as

A) vicarious honesty.
B) strict liability.
C) perjury.
D) a Section 1983 situation.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Moral principles can be established by all except

A) individuals.
B) a religious body.
C) the legislature.
D) a particular culture.
E) none of the other choices-they all can establish moral principles.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Officers with good work records may slip into a mode of corrupt behavior because of

A) ego.
B) exercise of power.
C) tolerance of the behavior by the community.
D) inadequate supervision.
E) any of the other choices.

Question 5

Reducing the risk of civil liability

A) is the responsibility of the department, not the officer.
B) is not a major concern as agencies can expect fewer rather than more lawsuits in the future.
C) requires effective policies and procedures clearly communicated to all.
D) can be brought about by addressing the issue in basic rookie training.
E) all of the other choices.

Question 6

The Civil Rights Act was passed

A) after the Civil War.
B) at the turn of the century.
C) during Prohibition.
D) in the 1960s following mass disturbances on college campuses.
E) in 1995.

Question 7

Claims of false imprisonment often arise in cases involving

A) shoplifting.
B) drunk and disorderly arrests.
C) warrantless arrests under pro-arrest domestic violence statutes.
D) shoplifting and drunk and disorderly arrests only
E) shoplifting, drunk and disorderly arrests, and warrantless arrests under pro-arrest domestic violence statutes.

Question 8

The normal defenses used by police supervisors,departments,and municipalities being sued include all except that they

A) did not intend to deprive the plaintiff of constitutional rights.
B) acted in good faith.
C) acted in the heat of passion.
D) acted with reasonable judgment.
E) acted with valid authority.

Question 9

Arguments for banning gratuities include

A) most gratuities are large and can be significant motivators of action.
B) there is usually an expectation of something in return.
C) the acceptance of gratuities violates most departments' policies.
D) the practice is not deeply entrenched and can be effectively ended.
E) the appearance of impropriety is not significant.

Question 10

_____________ established that police officers could be held liable for using excessive force

A) City of Canton v. Harris
B) Graham v. Connor
C) NAACP v. Levi
D) Thurman v. City of Torrington
E) Baker v. City of New York

Question 11

The police culture usually includes all the following beliefs except

A) the police are the only real crime fighters.
B) the public is generally supportive.
C) loyalty counts more than anything.
D) it is impossible to win the war on crime without bending the rules.
E) working patrol is the least desirable job in the police department.

Question 12

According to Alpert and Noble,lies that may be justified by investigative necessity include

A) testifying falsely to imprison a criminal.
B) testifying falsely during an internal affairs investigation.
C) presenting a suspect with false evidence.
D) creation of false evidence.
E) failure to bring forward information involving criminal action by other officers.

Question 13

According to Alpert and Noble,police are allowed to be dishonest under which certain circumstances?

A) conducting undercover operations
B) deploying unmarked cars
C) during interrogation
D) court room testimony

Question 14

Negligent killings usually arise in all except

A) shooting to strike a motor vehicle and striking a passenger.
B) accidentally shooting a bystander.
C) reckless firing of warning shots.
D) poor aim when shooting to wound a suspect.
E) intentionally inflicting fatal injuries.

Question 15

A duty to disclose evidence was established in the landmark case

A) Garrity v. New Jersey.
B) Graham v. Connor.
C) Thurman v. City of Torrington.
D) Brady v. Maryland.

Question 16

_____________ involved failure to respond to calls for assistance.

A) City of Canton v. Harris
B) Delong v. County of Erie
C) NAACP v. Levi
D) Thurman v. City of Torrington
E) Baker v. City of New York

Question 17

The threat of a lawsuit

A) may influence an officer's decisions.
B) has caused officers to hesitate in acting, resulting in their death.
C) and resulting civil lawsuits are common.
D) both may influence an officer's decisions and has caused officers to hesitate in acting, resulting in their deaths.
E) may influence an officer's decisions, has caused officers to hesitate in acting, resulting in their deaths, and resulting civil lawsuits are common.

Question 18

When a person feels wronged by someone and is seeking redress in the form of monetary remuneration,it is called a

A) grievance.
B) criminal action.
C) civil action.
D) breach of the peace.
E) any of the other choices.

Question 19

When officers follow the "letter of the law," they consider the law

A) black and white.
B) a gray area.
C) a set of standards over which they have no control.
D) all of the other choices.

Question 20

The largest number of lawsuits filed against the police are for

A) use of excessive force.
B) brutality.
C) wrongful death.
D) negligent service.
E) false arrest and imprisonment.

Question 21

A basic ethics test is to ask

A) Am I doing the right thing?
B) Would I like to see this in the news?
C) Am I doing this for the right reason?
D) any of the other choices.
E) none of the other choices.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a rationale police might use to justify unethical behavior?

A) The money is there-if I don't take it, someone else will.
B) I put my life on the line every day-I deserve it.
C) The law doesn't apply to me-I am a police officer.
D) I'm only taking what is rightfully mine; if I got a decent wage, I wouldn't need it.
E) I need it-it's a good cause.

Question 23

If a police officer makes untrue,disparaging statements about a person in public,that officer can be sued for

A) libel.
B) slander.
C) malicious prosecution.
D) malfeasance.
E) nonfeasance.

Question 24

"No pursuit" policies have been adopted by many agencies because

A) the officers have not been properly trained in the PIT maneuver.
B) many citizens have complained of high-speed driving by law enforcement.
C) of liability concerns.
D) some state laws prohibit high-speed chases.

Question 25

Deadly force can be used only if

A) a misdemeanor was committed.
B) the officer's personal safety or the safety of others is in jeopardy.
C) the person resisted arrest.
D) any of the other choices.
E) none of the other choices.

Question 26

Officers can be sued by three means: torts,strict liability,and

A) ethical violations.
B) negligence.
C) absolute issues.
D) relative issues.

Question 27

The act that was designed to prevent the abuse of constitutional rights by officers who "under color of state law" deny defendants those rights is

A) the Civil Rights Act.
B) the Civil War Act.
C) the Ku Klux Klan Act.
D) the Vicarious Liability Act.

Question 28

Adopting performance standards such as CALEA's internationally accepted accreditation program can reduce the risk of being sued.

Question 29

A civil wrongdoing is called a

A) crime.
B) tort.
C) misdemeanor.
D) felony.
E) ministerial act.

Question 30

A collective deep pocket refers to

A) suing everyone involved.
B) enlisting the help of multiple defense attorneys.
C) organizing a class-action lawsuit.
D) taking up a collection to pay for damages.
E) none of the other choices.

Question 31

Some courts have held law enforcement officers liable for providing assistance at crash scenes.

Question 32

Civil lawsuits against police are common.

Question 33

Unethical deception might include each of the following except

A) "testilying."
B) failure to reveal exculpatory evidence.
C) creating false evidence implicating someone in a criminal act.
D) all of the other choices.
E) none-all of these are examples of unethical deception.

Question 34

To minimize lawsuits at the personal level,officers should

A) be familiar with department policies and procedures.
B) remain in the scope of their duties.
C) remain professional.
D) properly document activities.
E) all of the other choices.

Question 35

Section 1983 states that anyone acting under the authority of law who violates another person's constitutional rights can be sued.

Question 36

A prosecutor is required to notify the defense if the potential witness is an officer with a past record of falsifying reports or other conduct which could impact their truthfulness under the

A) Graham rule.
B) Giglio doctrine.
C) Garrity rule.
D) Thurman doctrine.

Question 37

Use-of-force reports are important in establishing the officer's

A) reasonableness.
B) discretion.
C) state of mind.
D) probable cause.

Question 38

When a police supervisor is sued because of what a victim believes is negligence in giving discretion to a subordinate,this type of lawsuit is called

A) supraliability.
B) vicarious liability.
C) libel.
D) collective liability.
E) slander.

Question 39

A proceeding where criminal charges are brought to harm someone with no legal justification is known as

A) malicious mischief.
B) malicious prosecution.
C) nolo contendere.
D) mala in se.
E) slander.

Question 40

Title 42,Section 1983,U.S.C.deals with civil offenses.

Question 41

Section 1983 lawsuits only involve First Amendment issues,such as freedom of speech,religion,and association.

Question 42

Spoken false statements intended to humiliate and degrade a person are known as libel.

Question 43

An absolute defense in a false arrest suit is that the officer had reasonable suspicion that a crime had been or was about to be committed and a public duty to arrest.

Question 44

Ethics is complex.

Question 45

Poor aim when shooting to wound a suspect causes the greatest number of wrongful death actions against police officers.

Question 46

Blue lies are used to help or comfort the person lied to.

Question 47

Accepting gratuities can give the appearance of preferential treatment only when such treatment actually exists.

Question 48

The largest number of civil actions against police officers are filed in the area of excessive force.

Question 49

The primary types of state liability laws involve negligence or malfeasance.

Question 50

Not responding to a 911 call is an example of an intentional tort.

Question 51

Thorough,accurate police reports can establish the reasonableness of officers' actions,thus preventing lawsuits.

Question 52

According to some courts,publishing a 911 number implies that the police will protect those who call that number.

Question 53

Some lawsuits have been filed in attempts to make officers liable for not recognizing existing medical impairments.

Question 54

Law enforcement officers are not permitted to countersue if they are falsely accused of a civil offense.

Question 55

The past decades have seen a decrease in civil lawsuits claiming negligence by police officers.

Question 56

Police use of deception and police acceptance of gratuities are two controversial areas in the discussion of law enforcement ethics.

Question 57

Deadly physical force is never permitted in preventing destruction of evidence.

Question 58

Most cases against police officers are based on Section 1983,alleging police violation of constitutional rights.

Question 59

A department's formal and informal codes of ethics are very similar.

Question 60

Accepting gratuities such as free coffee can be the first step toward becoming corrupt.

Question 61

DOC stands for decisions,opportunities,and choices.

Question 62

A police placebo is given to exert control over a person.

Question 63

The National Institute of Ethics contends there in no code of silence among law enforcement officers.

Question 64

What one individual considers ethical behavior may be considered highly unethical behavior by another individual.

Question 65

Conscience is the ability to recognize right from wrong and to follow one's own sense of what is right.

Question 66

Malfeasance refers to failure to take action.

Question 67

Perhaps the most important factor in police officers becoming corrupt is the great amount of discretion they have.

Question 68

Chief Justice Warren Burger believed that officers working the beat exercise broader discretion every day than a judge will exercise in a week.

Question 69

The defining characteristics of the police culture are cynicism and authoritarianism.

Question 70

Group loyalty and the code of silence are parts of a phenomenon called the thin blue line.

Question 71

Professional courtesy is considered unethical.

Question 72

Corruption among police officers is a relatively recent phenomenon that has occurred because of the "war on drugs."

Question 73

Ministerial acts are those actions officers perform using their own judgment.

Question 74

Officers often become cynical due to the constant display of lying,hiding,cheating,and theft to which they are exposed.

Question 75

Minor gratuities are accepted in the law enforcement code of ethics.

Question 76

Integrity becomes more important than loyalty to those who participate in the code of silence.

Question 77

False arrest and false imprisonment are almost synonymous under the law.

Question 78

The law enforcement code of ethics disapproves of gratuities.

Question 79

A police officer's first loyalty must be to his or her colleagues.

Question 80

"Brady Material" is evidence that tends to prove the accused party is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.