Final Gov Exam
After you are arrested and taken to jail, you must appear before a judge and be told what charges you are being accused of and reminded of your right to an attorney and right to remain silent. What is this process called?
arraignment
If you were wrongfully convicted and exonerated, the Timothy Cole Act requires that the state pays you __________________ per year you wrongfully spent in prison.
$80,000
Reforms in the criminal justice process include
-financial compensation for people wrongfully convicted. -changes to suspect lineups so that the police officer in charge of the lineup does not know who the actual suspect is. -expanding drug treatment programs -showing photos in photo identifications to witnesses sequentially rather than at the same time to reduce the danger of witnesses comparing photos and choosing the one that best fits their memory of the assailant
People have been wrongfully convicted in Texas because of
-police misconduct -bad or outdated forensic science. -mistaken identifications. -prosecutorial misconduct.
District attorneys may have the most important roles in the criminal justice process because
-they have the power to charge people with crimes. -they have the power to plea bargain with defendants -they usually make the only presentation before grand juries
The most prison-prone group in society is between the ages of
20 and 29.
In the Texas criminal justice system, crimes are classified as felonies or misdemeanors.
True
Police departments are now required to report officer-involved shootings to the state.
True
Which of the following is true?
People convicted of capital crimes are not eligible for parole
Which of the following statements about plea bargaining is true?
Plea bargains are made by defendants with district attorneys and agreed to by a judge
In Texas, the legal standard of proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" is used in which type(s) of cases?
both felony and misdemeanor cases
The most serious felony is ________, for which the penalty can be death or life imprisonment without parole.
capital murder
What are plea bargains used to do?
clear a crowded district court docket by negotiating guilty pleas in criminal cases
Probation costs are
considerably less than prison costs.
It is often quite difficult for people to readjust to life after prison because
family members may have moved, died, or cut off communications, thereby removing a support network.
________ is a punishment where, instead of a jail or prison sentence, an offender remains in the community with the understanding that the offender will meet certain requirements that are imposed by the court.
Probation
The agency responsible for licensing peace officers is the
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
When thinking about the total number of people in state prisons across the United States, which of the following is true?
Texas has more people incarcerated in its state prisons than any other state.
A major criticism of the grand jury is that it
usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear
For which type of offenses are Texas prison inmates most likely to be imprisoned?
violent
The Texas prison system
was vastly affected by a federal court decision, Ruiz v. Estelle, which declared that the overcrowded system was unconstitutional.
Constitutional carry
would not require gun training classes or any licensing process before someone could legally carry a weapon in public.
Texas has more verified ______________ than any other state.
wrongful convictions
If you are convicted of a misdemeanor in Texas,
you retain your right to vote and possess a weapon.
In the state of Texas, which race/ethnicity is most likely to be on death row today?
African American
An advance in which technology has conclusively proved the innocence of a large number of convicted people is
DNA analysis
Which of the following pro-death penalty arguments is not featured in the learning simulation "Debating the Death Penalty in Texas?"
The death penalty is not "cruel and unusual punishment" and is consequently constitutional.
The licensing of police officers in Texas is regulated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. How are the nine members of this commission selected?
They are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
Even if you are not sentenced to jail time, how is your freedom of movement restricted if you are convicted of a drug-related offense?
Your driver's license is suspended for six months. You have the option to go to court to get an occupational driver's license, but then you have to get an expensive high-risk SR-22 car insurance policy.
Today, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the prison system. Who runs this agency?
a nine-member board that is appointed by the governor
Probation refers to
a suspension of the jail or prison sentence
Money that is provided by the defendant to ensure his or her appearance in court is referred to as a court fee.
bail.
Officer-involved shootings in Texas
create questions of racial bias in the use of violence by police.
Grand juries
determine if there is probable cause to prosecute an individual for a crime.
The most serious crimes are classified as
felonies
A serious criminal offense that subjects a person to state prison punishment is a(n)
felony.
If sentenced by a judge to probation, you would most likely have to do which of the following?
have a steady job, report to your probation officer on a regular basis, abstain from drug and alcohol use, and pay any fines or restitution
The death penalty
is imposed by a majority vote of the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
is run by a nine-member board appointed by the governor
One important requirement of the Sandra Bland Act is that
jail deaths must be investigated by an independent agency.
Indigent defendants charged with serious crimes in Texas
most commonly are represented by assigned counsel.
How are people selected to serve on grand juries in Texas?
through a random selection process