General Criminal Law
Murder/Homicide
Defenses
Property Crimes
Trials and Sentencing
100
What is a name for the category of crimes where the punishment is greater than 1 year in prison?
A felony
100
What term is defined as: a murder that occurs during the commission of a crime that can be punished with more than 1 year in prison?
Felony Murder
100
A 6 year old killed their sibling. What defense can they assert?
Infancy. The 6 year old committed the crime but their actions were not responsible for their actions since their mind is not developed enough to mean to kill someone
100
What is the dollar amount that separates grand larceny from petty larceny?
$100. Grand larceny is a felony while petty larceny is a misdemeanor
100
What is the name of the term when a defendant pleads guilty to get a reduced sentence?
Plea Bargaining
200
What are the two things a prosecutor needs to prove for every crime?
A guilty state of mind & that the defendant actually acted to make the crime occur
200
Mary does not plan on killing Amy but when they are watching tv together Mary decides in the spur of the moment to pull out her gun and kill Amy. What crime can Mary be charged with?
Second degree murder. This is when the actor does not plan ahead of time to kill someone but does it in the spur of the moment. The actor, Mary here, is not annoyed with Amy so this is not a crime of passion
200
A patient escapes a psych ward and kills a homeless man. What defense can the patient assert at trial?
Insanity defense. The patient can prove with testimony from their doctor that they should not be held responsible for their actions because of their mental state
200
Mitchell manages the LA Fitness in West Hartford. He learns that there's a $1 million insurance policy and that he could get part of the money. Mitchell burns down the LA Fitness. What crime can Mitchell be charged with?
Arson & Insurance fraud. Insurance fraud is always a separate crime if someone acts to illegally get insurance money
200
What term describes when a jury's decisions is not based on the law but based on the jury's own sense of morals and justice
Jury Nullification
300
What is an accessory before the fact and what crime can they be charged with?
An accessory before the fact is a person who helps the principal plan/get ready for the crime before it occurs. They can be charged with the same crime as the principal
300
What is the term for when the actor is so upset that in the heat of the moment they kill someone without taking any time to cool down?
Voluntary Manslaughter
300
Luis is approached by an undercover cop who is pretending to be a drug dealer. The cop asks Luis if he wants to buy from him and Luis refuses. The cop asks again and Luis gives him $30 in exchange for some drugs. Luis is immediately arrested. Is there any defense Luis can assert?
No, there is no entrapment defense here since Luis bought the drugs without having to be persuaded by the cop. Luis could have asserted an entrapment defense if he would not have bought the drugs unless the cop pushed them to
300
What is the name of the crime when someone blackmails another person to get control of their property?
Extortion
300
What are the two possible pre-trial procedures that can be used to decide if a prosecutor can charge the defendant with a felony?
1. Grand Jury 2. Preliminary Hearing
400
What is the term for an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime?
A conspiracy. This is different from an accomplice since both people are principals to the crime and are taking all the steps (planning, committing the crime, and escaping) together
400
What crime can someone be charged with if they acts so recklessly they do not care about ending a persons life?
Involuntary Manslaughter. If they just negligent and not so extremely careless then they could be charged with Negligent Homicide
400
John threatens to kill Rob if he doesn't shoot a police officer that John hates. Rob kills the police officer. What defense can Rob assert?
Duress
400
What is the name of the crime when someone takes another persons car with force or threats from the driver of the car?
Carjacking
400
Name 3 of the 4 reasons behind punishing guilty offenders
1. Deterrence 2. Retribution 3. Rehabilitate Offenders 4. Incapacitate/ Keep them from re-offending
500
What are the two parts of an attempted crime?
1. The intent to commit the crime 2. The defendant has taken a substantial step towards committing the crime
500
In Connecticut Brad, a 25 year old, has sexual intercourse with Angela his 16 year old girlfriend who is severely mentally challenged when she is intoxicated. Can Brad be charged with a crime and if so what crime?
Statutory rape & rape since Angela does not have the ability to consent given her mental state and her intoxication
500
What are the 3 things a person needs to assert a claim of self-defense when they are protecting their property?
1. They had a reasonable belief 2. That they were in imminent danger 3. And that they used non-deadly force
500
Jack breaks and enters into an art gallery in the middle of the night with the intent of stealing all the paintings. What crime has Jack committed?
Burglary
500
Name 5 out of the 7 types of sentencing/punishment a judge can hand down
1. Prison 2. Fines 3. Death Penalty 4. Probation 5. Suspended Sentence 6. Restitution 7. Home Confinement
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