Criminal Justice Vocab
A court order to a law enforcement officer to arrest someone or search a location.
What is a Warrant?
What is Police, Courts, Corrections?
A specific type of larceny when a person is in a position of trust and steals from their employer.
What is Embezzlement?
This amendment addresses freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
What is the Fourth Amendment?
An offense punishable by a maximum of one year in a jail (not prison).
What is a Misdemeanor?
Breaking and/or entering another person’s dwelling house or business with the intent to commit a crime.
What is a Burglary?
This US Supreme Court decision upheld the police officer's ability to do a stop and frisk.
What is Terry Vs Ohio?
A serious crime, usually punishable by at least one year in prison (not jail).
What is a Felony?
a person under the age of 18 years of age.
What is a Juvenile?
To deprive a person of his or her liberty by legal authority.
What is an Arrest?
What is Malice?
This amendment addresses freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
What is the First Amendment?
The law as established in previous court decisions.
What is Case Law?
This amendment addresses the rights to due process of law, freedom from self- incrimination, and double jeopardy.
What is the Fifth Amendment?
Rules of evidence that all evidence must be “authenticated” i.e. there must be a record of who is in possession of all evidence from the time it is collected until it is introduced in court.
What is Chain of Custody?
The area surrounding a residence that can reasonably be said to be part of the residence for 4th Amendment purposes of search.
What is Curtilage?
This US Supreme Court decision requires the government to provide a lawyer for you if you cannot afford one.
What is Gideon vs Wainwright?
In a criminal trial, the constitutional guarantee that a defendant will receive a fair and impartial trial.
What is Due Process?
The doctrine that says evidence obtained illegally and/or in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights is not admissible at trial.
What is the Exclusionary Rule?
A trial without a jury, in which the judge serves as the fact-finder and determines if the defendant is guilty or innocent.
What is a Bench Trial?
A common law principle that allows the state to assume a parental role and/or take custody of a child when they become delinquent.
What is Parens Patriae?
This US Supreme Court decision requires the police read a detained person their rights prior to questioning them.
What is Miranda Vs. Arizona?
This guarantees an individual the right against cruel and unusual punishment.
What is the 8th Amendment?
This US Supreme Court decision requires the police allow you to have an attorney with you while being questioned if you want one.
What is Escobedo vs Illinois?
A jury verdict that a criminal defendant is not guilty, or the finding of a judge that the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction.
What is an Acquittal?