Types of Crimes
What is the term for a crime that requires a person’s intent to commit an act?
What is a crime of specific intent?
Which defense is based on the argument that the defendant was coerced into committing a crime?
What is duress?
Identify the legal principle that mandates a warning to suspects about their rights prior to interrogation.
What is Miranda rights?
Which Supreme Court case established that a person must be informed of their rights before being interrogated by law enforcement?
What is Miranda v. Arizona?
Define ‘mens rea’ in criminal law.
What is the mental state or intent necessary to be found guilty of a crime?
Which type of crime is characterized by the intent to cause physical harm or injury to another person?
What is a violent crime?
What is the defense that argues a defendant was unable to understand their actions due to a mental disorder?
What is the insanity defense?
What is the significance of the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine in criminal procedure?
This doctrine excludes evidence derived from illegal searches or interrogations, meaning that any evidence resulting from unlawful actions is not admissible in court.
Identify the case that ruled the death penalty, when applied in an arbitrary manner, violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
What is Furman v. Georgia?
What does ‘actus reus’ mean in the context of criminal liability?
What is the physical act of committing a crime?
Define 'white-collar crime.'
What is a non-violent crime committed for financial gain?
What defense can be used when a person claims they were acting to protect themselves?
What is self-defense?
Explain the function of a grand jury in the criminal justice process.
A grand jury reviews evidence presented by the prosecutor to determine whether there is sufficient cause to charge an individual with a crime, thereby issuing an indictment.
Cite the case that determined that a search conducted without a warrant requires a justifiable exception to the warrant rule.
What is Katz v. United States?
What is meant by "double jeopardy" in criminal law?
What is the legal principle that prohibits a person from being tried twice for the same offense after either acquittal or conviction?
Define "felony."
What is a serious crime typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year?
What criteria must be met to successfully argue defense of property?
A person may use reasonable force to protect their property, but the force used must be proportional to the threat and cannot involve deadly force unless there's a threat to life.
What is the difference between a preliminary hearing and a grand jury proceeding?
A preliminary hearing is a mini-trial to assess probable cause before a judge, while a grand jury proceeding is conducted in secret to decide on the indictment process without the presence of the accused.
What landmark decision held that juveniles are entitled to the same due process rights as adults in juvenile courts?
What is In re Gault?
Explain the term "reasonable suspicion" in relation to law enforcement stops.
What is reasonable suspicion is a standard used in criminal procedure allowing police to stop and briefly detain a person based on specific, articulable facts indicating that the person may be involved in criminal activity.
What is the distinction between a crime and a tort?
What is a crime is an offense against the state, while a tort is a private wrong against an individual?
Which defense argues that a defendant's actions were necessary to prevent a greater harm?
What is the necessity defense?
Define “substantive due process” and how it affects criminal procedural rights.
Substantive due process refers to the constitutional requirement that laws not infringe on fundamental rights, ensuring that individuals have basic protections in their legal rights, including fair trial rights and protection against arbitrary government action.
Which case reinterpreted the standards for determining the reliability of eyewitness testimony, thus affecting the prosecution of crimes?
What is Neil v. Biggers?
Define "prosecutorial discretion" and discuss its implications in the criminal justice system.
What is prosecutorial discretion refers to the authority of a prosecutor to decide whether to bring charges, what charges to file, and whether to negotiate plea deals, which can significantly impact the outcomes of criminal cases and issues of justice and equality.