Legal Principles
This type of law forbids punishing someone for an act that was not illegal at the time it was committed.
What are Ex Post Facto Laws?
This defense completely excuses the defendant from criminal liability, such as an alibi, meaning they are not guilty of the crime.
What is a Perfect Defense?
This law enforcement theory focuses on addressing minor disorders and offenses to prevent more serious crimes from occurring.
What is the Broken Windows Theory?
This is the oldest local law enforcement agency in the U.S., originating from an English position appointed by the Crown and later elected by the public.
What is the Sheriff's Office?
This is the primary purpose of body-worn cameras?
What is increased transparency and accountability?
This constitutional guarantee ensures that legal procedures are fair and that individuals are given notice of charges against them and an opportunity to be heard.
What is Due Process?
This defense claims that the defendant was pressured or induced by law enforcement to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed.
What is Entrapment?
This is the primary purpose of body-worn cameras used by law enforcement officers.
What is Increasing transparency and accountability?
This type of law enforcement agency is the largest and most common in the U.S., managing services like criminal investigations and order maintenance within city limits.
What are City Police or Municipal Police?
This is the court-ordered oversight of an agency.
What is consent decree?
Acts that are considered wrong because they are inherently harmful or immoral fall into this category.
What is Mala in Se?
This defense grants the defendant protection from prosecution, such as in cases of diplomatic immunity.
What is Immunity?
This turns theft into a different crime when there is added violence or threat.
What is Robbery?
This federal agency was founded in 1908 and became prominent during the 1930s, playing a central role in combating terrorism and maintaining the national crime database.
What is the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)?
This is the protection of government from lawsuits.
What is sovereign immunity?
There are acts that are prohibited not because they are inherently harmful, but because laws have been passed to regulate or ban them.
What is Mala Prohibita?
This defense argues that the defendant was incapable of understanding the crime or its consequences due to a mental illness, such as under the M’Naghten Rule.
What is Insanity?
This limits the use of federal military personnel in law enforcment at the local level.
What is Posse Comitatus Act (1878)?
This percentage of worn personnel are accounted for by local police departments.
What is 66%?
This case ruled the "fleeing-felon doctrine" unconstitutional.
What is Tennessee v. Garner (1985)?
These two elements are required for a crime to have been committed.
What is Actus Reus and Mens Rea?
This defense is invoked when a defendant commits a crime in order to prevent a greater harm or evil from occurring.
What is Necessity?
This U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the use of deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect is unconstitutional under certain circumstances.
What is Tennessee v. Garner (1985)?
This is what SARA stands for.
What is Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment
This is the case that the "pat-down" doctrine is based on.
What is Terry v. Ohio?