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criminal justice and the law
test one
97
Criminal Justice
Undergraduate 3
02/19/2012

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Term
Laws
Definition
-To preserve societal order
- make sure our democracy continues to exist
----- influenced by customs and religion
Term
Substantive Law
Definition
Laws that regulate conduct
--do's and don'ts (don't steal, kidnap, etc.)
Term
Ordinances
Definition
local criminal law
Term
Laws are and were influenced by 3 things
Definition
judeo/christian
-laws were founded from ideals
Roman laws-
Common Law
-unwritten law
-"english law brought fro britain)
Term
Crime
Definition
always against society (peace and order)
Term
Malum in Se
Definition
Latin for wrong in itself
Conduct everyone thinks is evil (murder rape)
Term
Malum in prohibitum
Definition
A crime because legislature says it is
(gambling prostitution)
Term
Crimes against the state
Definition
treason, espionage, sedition, etc
Term
Property Crime
Definition
arson, trespassing, damage to property, shoplifting, etc
Term
Crimes aganist persons
Definition
assault, robbery, rape, murder, etc
Term
Public order crimes
Definition
crimes aganist the peace
(rioting, noise ordinances, etc)
Term
Moral offenses
Definition
prostitution, obscenity, crimes against nature etc
Term
Crimes against administration
Definition
prejury, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, etc
Term
Precedent
Definition
Doctrine of "stare decisis"
(already decided)
Term
Solicitation
Definition
The encouraging, requesting, or commanding of another person to commit a crime
Term
Principal in the 1st degree
Definition
individual who actually committed the crime
Term
Principal in the second degree
Definition
anyone who was present at the crime scene and who aided, abetted, counseled, or encouraged the principal in the commission of the crime
Term
Accessory before the fact
Definition
anyone who aided and abetted in the preparation for the crime, but was not present at the crime scene
Term
Accessory after the fact
Definition
anyone who didn't participate in the crime but knew the crime was committed and furnished post crime assistance to keep the criminal from being detected or from being arrested

-Dr. Mudd assisted with john wilkes booth in killing the president by providing medical care
Term
Accessory
Definition
one who knowingly gives assistance to a person who has committed a felony for the purpose of helping that individual avoid apprehension or detection
Term
Vicarious liability
Definition
the criminal liability of one party for criminal acts of another party

-red light camera
Term
accomplice
Definition
a person who, with intent to promote or facilitate the commission of a crime, gives assistance or encouragement to the principal
Term
US Constitution
Definition
"supreme law of the land"
Term
Retribution
Definition
eye for and eye (punishment)
Term
Deterrence
Definition
the goal would be to prevent others from committing crimes similar to ones for which an offender is being sentenced
Term
Deterrence (two types)
Definition
Specific- goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender

General- Goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent others from committing similar crimes, by making an example out of a person sentenced
Term
Rehabilitation
Definition
the attempt to reform a criminal offender
Term
Restoration
Definition
a sentencing goal that seeks to make victims and the community "whole again" (pay back)
Term
Incapacitation
Definition
the use of imprisonment or other means to reduce the likelihood that an offender will be capable of committing future offenses
Term
indeterminate sentence
Definition
unspecific term of incarceration (min and max)
Term
Consecutive sentence
Definition
sentences are served in sequence with other sentences
Term
Concurrent sentence
Definition
sentences are to be served simultaneously
Term
Determinate sentence
Definition
fixed term of incarceration
Term
Aggravating factors
Definition
circumstances relating to the commission of a crime that causes its gravity to be greater and that of average instance of the given type of offense
Term
Mitigating factors
Definition
circumstance dont justify or excuse the crime but facts that can be considered as reducing the blame of the offender
Term
Furman vs. georgia 1972
Definition
argued the death penalty violated the 8th amendment
said states have the discretion
Term
Woodson vs. NC 1972
Definition
said that you couldn't have a mandatory death penalty for certain crimes
Term
Death penalty process
Definition
aggravating factors(ex.victim raped your wife)
- all 12 jurors have to find that at least on aggravated factor for it to be present
Litigating factors (ex. defendant raped victim prior to murdering them)
-only one juror has to fine litigated factors
Do aggravated outweigh the litigated factors?
- sufficiently substantial to call for the imposition of the death penalty
Term
Habeas Corpus
Definition
Literally, "you have the body". A writ challenging the legality of incarcerating, or a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a court to determine the legality of the prisoner's detention
Term
4 traditional sanctions
Definition
imprisonment
probation
fines
death
Term
Crime elements
Definition
1) the basic components of crime
2) In specific crime, the essential feature of that crime as specified by law or statute
Term
Actus Reus
Definition
an act in violation of the law
Term
Failure to act
Definition
examples- wearing a seatbelt, paying taxes, or child neglect
Term
types of intent
Definition
general intent
specific intent- committing an act in order for harm to be committed (assault with deadly weeping with intent to kill, or even possession of a drug with intent to sell)
Transferred intent - if intending to impose injury on someone, and you hurt someone else
recklessness- acting in a way that could cause deadly harm(dwi-
Negligence- knowing there is a risk and ignoring it
Term
Strict liability crimes
Definition
violation of the law for which one may incur criminal liability without fault or intention
(speeding, statutory rape)
Term
Concurrence
Definition
the simultaneous coexistence of
1) an act in violation of the law
2) culpable mental state
Term
Duress
Definition
action is voluntary and someone made you commit the crime
Term
Possession crime
Definition
illegal is the law says that you can posses it
Term
Actual possession
Definition
iners that the substance is yours
Term
Constructive possession
Definition
when the substance is not on a person for is in something that is under a persons control(car)
Term
Causation
Definition
Persons actions must produce or cause harm- can't charge someone with murder if no one died
Term
Cause of fact
Definition
government must show this- an actual link between an actor's conduct and a result
Term
Proximate cause
Definition
the primary or moving cause that plays a substantial part in bringing about injury or damage.
Term
Corpus Delicti
Definition
You need this to proceed with trial- Facts that show that a crime has occurred (literally the "body of the victim"
Term
Felony murder rule
Definition
if you rob a bank and someone dies during the robbery its murder
Term
Ex Post facto
Definition
can't punish for a crime that was not a crime when it was committed
Term
Void For vagueness
Definition
5th and 14th amendment- due process.
average intelligent has to know that it was wrong or against the law
Term
Equal Protection
Definition
14th amendment- laws can't change for different people
Term
Attendant circumstances
Definition
Facts surrounding the event(time and place)
Term
Inchoate Offenses
Definition
Unfinished crime that generally leads to another crime
Term
attempt (inchoate offenses)
Definition
the intention to commit a crime but falls short of the crime intended to commit (requires Mens Rea' - specific interest)
- also requires "acts reuse" substantial step(mere preparation, thinking is not an attempt)
Term
Physical proximity test
Definition
this test require that the accused has it within his or her power to complete the crime almost immediately
Term
Conspiracy crime
Definition
agreement for two or more to carry out an unlawful to accomplish a lawful outcome
-used when there is not another crime to rely on
-doesnt end until the crime is completed or no one else is left under the agreement except one person
Term
Wharton Rule
Definition
conspiracy- says you must have at least two people for conspiracy if the charges are for murder, they needed two people to conspire with
Term
Chain conspiracy
Definition
conspirator follows in sequence and deals only with the person who came before them
Term
Principal in the second degree
Definition
Now known as "aid and abet"
Term
Tort
Definition
a private or civil wrong or injury
Term
tortfeasor
Definition
an individual, business, or other legally recognized entity that commits a tort
Term
Model penal code (MPC)
Definition
A model code of criminal laws intended to standardize general provisions or criminal liability, sentencing, defenses and definition of specific crimes.
Term
Adversarial systems
Definition
Prosecution v. defense
Term
Preponderance of evidence
Definition
a standard for determining legal liability, which requires probability of just over 50% that he defendant did what is claimed
Term
Clear and convincing evidence
Definition
level of factual proof used in civil cases for personal liberty, standard requires greater certainty than"more probable than not, but is not as demanding as "no reasonable doubt"
Term
knowing possession
Definition
possession with awareness of what one possesses
Term
mere possession
Definition
possession in which one may or may not be aware of what he or she possesses
Term
scienter
Definition
knowledge (HIV+ example)
Term
Canon of construction
Definition
a rule that guides courts in interpreting constitution, statutes, and other laws
Term
Bill of attainder
Definition
a legislative pronouncement that an individual is guilty of a crime (this is not legal)
Term
Last Act test
Definition
test to see if the last step or action was taken to commit the crime (ex. if you pull a gun but didn't fire it)
Term
Abandonment
Definition
the voluntary and complete abandonment of the intent and purpose to commit the crime (used as a defense)
Term
misprision of felony
Definition
the failure to report a known crime; the concealment of a crime
Term
National Crime Victimization Survey
Definition
(NCVS) Survy by bureau of justice statistics
Term
Rights of allocution
Definition
right permitting the crime victim to speak at sentencing of convicted offender
Term
"son of Sam" Law
Definition
will not allow convicted offender to sell their story and make profit from it
Term
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Definition
FBI data collection program
Term
Restitution
Definition
a court requirement that a convicted offender pay money or provide service to the victim or the crime or provide services to the community
Term
Just Deserts
Definition
a model of criminal sentencing that holds that criminal offenders deserve the punishment they receive at the hand of the state and that suggest that punishment should be appropriated to the type and severity of the crime committed
Term
social debt
Definition
sentencing principle that objectively counts an offenders criminal history in sentencing decisions
Term
proportionality
Definition
severity of sanction should bear a direct relationship to the seriousness of the crime
Term
equity
Definition
sentencing based on concerns with social equality that holds the similar crimes should be punished with the same degree of severity regardless of social or personal characteristics of the offender
Term
intermediate sanction
Definition
the use of split sentencing, shock probation, and parole, home confinement, shock incarceration and community service in lieu of other more traditional sanction like imprisonment and fines .
Term
Split sentence
Definition
jail then probation
Term
Shock Probation
Definition
practice of sending an offender to jail and allowing them to apply for probation
Term
Shock incarceration
Definition
boot camp type of prisons
Term
Mixed sentence
Definition
weekend jail while on probation
Term
crime elements
Definition
what the government has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
Term
most criminals have 3 elements
Definition
1) prohibited act- acts reus
2) mental state- mens tea
3) general intent
(1 and 2 have to occur at the same time)
Term
strict liability
Definition
government doesn't have to prove you where speed, they only have to show you did what the law prohibits
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