Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
58 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Chapter 1 Adjunction |
the legal resolution of a dispute |
|
Aggravating circumstances |
element of a crime that enhances its seriousness,such as the infliction of torture, killing of a police or corrections officer |
|
Appeal |
a written petition to a higher court to modifyor reverse a decision of a lower court |
|
Arrest |
the taking into custody or detaining of anindividual who is suspected of committing a crime |
|
Corrections |
a broad term that includes facilities, programs,and organizations responsible for the management of people who have beenaccused or convicted of a crime |
|
Criminal justice flow and process |
the horizontal movement of defendants and casesthrough the criminal justice process, beginning with the commission of a crime,investigation, arrest, initial appearance, arraignment, trial, verdict,sentencing, and appeal |
|
Determinate sentences |
a specific, fixed-period sentenced ordered bythe court |
|
Discretion |
authority to make decisions in enforcing the lawbased on one’s observations and judgment rather than the letter of the law |
|
District attorney |
federal, state, or local prosecutor whorepresents the people, particularly victims |
|
Discovery |
·a procedure where both the prosecution and thedefense exchange and share information as to: witnesses to be used, recordedstatements by the defendant, psychiatric reports ect, so as there will be nomajor surprises at trial.. also known as brady material |
|
Ethics |
a set of rules or values that spell out appropriatehuman conduct |
|
Felony Offense |
most serious of all categories. Divided intofelony of first degree, second degree, and third degree. Felonies punishable byup to more than 10 years depending on degree |
|
Indeterminate sentencing |
a scheme whereby one is sentenced for a flexibletime period so as to be released when rehabilitated or the opportunity forrehabilitation is presented |
|
Misdemeanor Offense |
the state of Pennsylvania organized misdemeanorsinto three basic categories: first, second, and third degree offenses firstdegree offenses are the most serious type of misdemeanor with the mostsignificant possible, while third degree misdemeanors are the least serious. |
|
Mitigating circumstances |
circumstances that would tend to lessen theseverity of the sentence, such as ones youthfulness, mental instability, nothaving a prior criminal recorded, so on |
|
Nolo contendere |
a plea of contest to charges; the defendant doesnot dispute the facts |
|
Parole |
early release from prison with conditionsattached and under supervision of a parole agency |
|
Political influence |
matters taken into account for developing publicpolicies, allocating funds and other resources, and choosing among preferredalternatives. |
|
Probable cause |
reasonable suspicion or belief that a crime hasbeen, or is about to be committed by a particular person. |
|
Prosecution |
the bringing of charges against an individual,based on probable cause so as to cause the matter to go to court |
|
Recognizance |
personalresponsibility to return to court at a specified time; normally people releasedfrom jail “on recognizance” do not have to post bail or bond |
|
Sanctions |
a penalty or punishment |
|
Sentence |
a penalty imposed on a convicted person, whichmay include a period of incarceration, a fine, community service, or somealternative |
|
Summary Offense |
the most minor type of criminal offense inPennsylvania and is often called a non traffic citation. Summary offenses caninclude disorderly conduct, loitering, harassment, and low level retail theft |
|
Three strikes law |
a crime control strategy whereby an offender whocommits three or more violent offenses will be sentenced to a lengthy term inprison, usually 25 years to life. |
|
Trial |
a proceeding in a court where the determinationof guilt or innocence is to be made, and including specified rules of criminalevidence and processes |
|
Wedding cake model of criminal justice |
model of the criminal justice process whereby afour tiered hierarchy exists, with a few celebrated cases at the top, and lowertiers increasing in size as the severity of cases become less |
|
Chapter 2 Robbery |
taking of property of another from his or herperson |
|
Burglary |
entering into a building with intent to commit acrime |
|
Mens rea |
mental intent to commit a crime |
|
Actus reus |
the physical act of the crime |
|
Stare decisis |
to stand by a decision |
|
Ordinance |
a rule |
|
Statute |
a written law passed by a legislative body |
|
Protection from abuse |
civil order that provides protection from harmby family or household members, sexual or intimate partners or persons who youhave a child in common with |
|
Civil matter |
those relating to people's interactions with oneanother |
|
Criminal matter |
Prosecution by the State of a person ororganization, for committing a public wrong considered an offense against theState. |
|
Beyond a reasonable doubt |
the evidence required to validate a criminalconviction |
|
Preponderance of evidence |
A standard of proofthat must be met by a plaintiff if he or she is to win a civil action |
|
Substantive Law |
statutory, or written law, that defines rightsand duties, such as crimes and punishments (in the criminal law), civil rightsand responsibilities in civil law. |
|
Procedural Law |
comprises the rules by which a court hears anddetermines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. |
|
Felony |
serious crime |
|
Misdemeanor |
a minor crime
|
|
UCR: uniform crime reporting |
official data on crimes in the US by the FBI |
|
NIBRS |
national incident based report system – incidentreporting system used by law enforcement agencies for collecting and reportingcrimes |
|
Entrapment Defense |
police tactics that overly encourage or enticeindividuals to commit crimes that they normally would not commit |
|
Duress |
excuse with defendants claiming that theycommitted the act only because they were not acting of their own free will |
|
Double jeopardy |
Subjecting an accused person to be tried twicefor the same offense; prohibited by the 5th amendment |
|
Insanity defense in pa |
uses the m’naughten rule- the burden of proofis on the defendant |
|
Plaintiff |
a person who brings a case against another inthe court of law |
|
Castle Doctrine |
self-defense theory which gives a homeowner theright to protect his home with the use of deadly force. |
|
Affirmative defenses |
the defendant admits he or she committed the actbut because of some reason ( mental illness etc) should be treated lightly |
|
Summary offense |
most minor type of criminal offense inPennsylvania |
|
Chapter 3
Classical school/ ceasare beccaria/ rationalchoice
|
free will – one chooses between criminal and lawful behavior |
|
Positivist/ auguste comte |
people commit crime because they are “sick”.don’t believe in punishment |
|
Thomas merton/ strain theory |
social change leads to crime |
|
Twin studies |
hereditary studies – genetics are the reasonpeople commit crime |
|
White collar crime |
financially motivated nonviolent crime committedby business and government professionals |