Criminal Justice Today
An act that violates criminal law and is punishable by criminal sanctions.
crime
The scientific study of crime and the causes of criminal behavior.
criminology
Serious crimes, usually punishable by death or imprisonment for a year or longer.
felonies
Law based on the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of the various states.
constitutional law
The primary law enforcement officer in a county, usually elected to the post by popular vote.
sheriff
Any person who suffers physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a criminal act.
victim
A possible explanation for an observed occurrence that can be tested by further investigation.
hypothesis
A criminal offense that is not a felony; usually punishable by a fine and/or a jail term of less than one year.
misdemeanor
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Bill of Rights
The use of military training, tactics, and weaponry in policing.
militarism
The moral principles that govern a person's perception of right and wrong.
ethics
A method for determining the likelihood that an offender will be involved in future wrongdoing.
risk assessment
An annual report compiled by the FBI to give an indication of criminal activity in the United States.
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
The rules of law announced in court decisions.
case law
The federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation's laws and regulations regarding narcotics and other controlled substances.
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
A criminal act that makes the offender eligible to receive the death penalty.
capital crime
Sigmund Freud's theory that attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives.
psychoanalytic theory
The degree of proof required to find the defendant in a criminal trial guilty of committing the crime.
beyond a reasonable doubt
Latin term for "a guilty (prohibited) act".
actus reus
A hiring or promotion policy favoring those groups who have suffered from discrimination in the past.
affirmative action
Nonviolent crimes committed by business entities or individuals to gain a personal or business advantage.
white collar crimes
The hypothesis that society creates crime and criminals by labeling certain behavior and certain people as deviant.
labeling theory
The degree of proof required to decide in favor of one side or the other in a civil case.
preponderance of the evidence
A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases involving similar facts.
precedent
A form of corruption in which a political party hires and promotes police officers and receives job-related favors in return.
patronage system