These are sample questions from chapters 1 & 4 of the Textbook. There are multiple choice, true / false and essay examples. These will give you an idea of the types of questions you can expect to find on criminal justice examinations. The answers can be found in the text!

1. In the Wedding Cake model of criminal justice, the least serious crimes are included in which layer?

A.    The top
B.    Layer 3
C.    Layer 2
D.    The bottom

2. Of the following choices, which is closest to the number of crimes that are reported to the police?

A.    25%
B.    50%
C.    75%
D.    If none of these is are correct, select this answer.

3. Approximately what percent of cases reported to the police are cleared by arresting the offender and referring the case to court?

A.    80%

B.    60%
C.    40%
D.    20%

4. There are three branches of government and three parts to the criminal justice system. Match the parts of the criminal justice system with the correct branch of government.

               The police                     A. The Executive Branch

               The court system           B. The Judicial Branch

                Correctional systems     C. The Legislative Branch

5. The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits which of the following?

A.    Double jeopardy
B.    Punishment that is cruel and unusual
C.    High bail
D.    Self incrimination

6. The primary purpose of a constitution is to

A.    provide individual protections to the people.
B.    separate the people from the government.
C.    establish the form of government for a society.
D.    If none of the above are correct, select this answer.

7. In usual order, which of the following would happen first in the critical stages of the justice process?

A.    Investigation
B.    Plea negotiation
C.    Release
D.    Arraignment

8. “The control of dangerous offenders and the protection of society through harsh punishment as a deterrent to crime” best describes which perspective?

A.    Rehabilitation
B.    Due Process
C.    Nonintervention
D.    Crime Control

9. In the majority of serious criminal cases that go to trial the defendant

A.    pleads guilty to the charge.
B.    has a jury trial and is convicted.
C.    is acquitted (found not guilty).
D.    is a juvenile and is handled through diversion.

10. An                                               is a written accusation returned by a grand jury, charging an individual with a specified crime, usually a felony.

11. It was not until that the concept of a criminal justice system began to be recognized.

A. 1919
B. 1929
C. 1933
D. 1967

12. Billions of dollars for improving police service was given to law enforcement agencies by the

A. Wickersham Commission.
B. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration.
C. Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.
D. National Institute of Justice.

13. Which of the following is not a branch of the federal government?

A. Executive
B. Judicial
C. Administrative
D. Legislative

14. The concept of                      gives appellate courts the power to determine whether legislative acts conform to the Constitution.

A. stare decisis
B. habeas corpus
C. judicial review
D. selective incorporation

15. Defining crime and establishing penalties is primarily the responsibility of the

A. administrative branch of government.
B. legislative branch of government.
C. judicial branch of government.
D. executive branch of government.

16. The                                      law defines crime in U.S. Society.

A. procedural
B. substantive

17.                           ensures that defendants will appear for trial.

A. Arraignment
B. Plea negotiation
C. Bail
D. Charging

18. The legal principle which established that it is essential that precedent be followed in future legal cases is called

A. stare decisis.
B. jurisprudence.
C. mala prohibita.
D. due process.

19. Which of the following is not a purpose of criminal law, as given in the text?

A. Maintain social order
B. Provide restitution
C. Regulate punishments
D. Identify public wrongs

20. Due process is established in the Amendment?

A. First
B. Fourth
C. Fifth
D. Fourteenth

22. The mental element of a crime, or the “guilty mind,” is called

A. mala prohibita.
B. mens reus.
C. actus reus.
D. mala in se.

23. The                       Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures?

A. First
B. Fourth
C. Sixth
D. Fourteenth

24. The                               Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects our freedom from compulsory self-incrimination?

A. First
B. Fourth
C. Fifth
D. Sixth

25. Which of the following is not within the scope of the guarantee of due process?

A. Notice of charges
B. A formal hearing
C. The opportunity to present witnesses
D. The right to indictment by grand jury

True/False

1. The criminal justice system is comprised of interrelated, but independent, agencies that act as agents of social control.

2. Roughly 90% of all criminal cases end with a pretrial agreement, or plea bargain.

3. The study of crime, called criminology, is an intra-disciplinary field of study.

4. About 76%, of criminal cases that go to trial are settled by the defendant pleading guilty.

5. According to the flow chart in the text, procedures in felony and misdemeanor cases are virtually identical in every step.

6. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

7. Legislative acts that inflict punishment without a trial are called ex post facto laws.

8. The most common classification of offenses in the United States is crimes and torts.

9. Bail is guaranteed under both the Texas and United States Constitutions.

10. The due process clause of the Fifth Amendment is the legal mechanism used to apply fundamental rights to individuals in state courts.

11. Basically, due process is intended to guarantee fundamental fairness in all cases.

12. Entrapment is a defense to criminal charges only if the police set traps for criminals by getting information on crime from informers.

13. The forerunner of the U.S. Constitution was the Articles of Confederation.

14. The term actus reus refers to the “guilty intent.”

15. Sixth Amendment guarantees, such as speedy and public trials and right to counsel, are designed to ensure that defendants receive due process during the trial.


Essay Questions

List, in order, the ten (10) procedural due process rights, as given in the text. (1 point each)

Chapter 4, Criminal Law: Substance and Procedure, addresses topics ranging from historical developments of criminal law to sources of the law, from criminal responsibility to constitutional criminal procedure. Of all the material you learned in chapter four, select one thing and explain in detail how learning it changed some misconception you had before studying this chapter.