,Chapter 01–Nature, Origins, Purposes, Structure, and Operation of the Criminal
Justice System
Chapter 01
Nature, Origins, Purposes, Structure, and Operation of the Criminal
Justice System
Multiple Choice Questions
1. American law can be described by any of the following definitions except as
A. the known decisions of the courts of the federal and state governments.
B. the ability to impose statutes upon those who commit crimes against Americans
anywhere.
C. federal, state, or local enactments of legislative bodies.
D. rules and regulations proclaimed by administrative bodies.
2. Criminal law is distinguished from all other law because
A. other types of law, such as civil law, seek to regulate acts that are contrary
to the
community interest of the social or government unit.
B. criminal law seeks to regulate acts that are contrary to the community interest
of the social
or government unit.
C. criminal law seeks to influence and protect the public from obvious and
egregious moral
wrongs.
D. other types of law, such as civil law, impose sentences for crimes committed.
3. Many cultures do not make the distinction between secular (nonreligious) and
_____ law
that is so central to American culture.
A. statutory
B. federal
C. sacred
D. religious
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distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
,Chapter 01–Nature, Origins, Purposes, Structure, and Operation of the Criminal
Justice System
4. All criminal law is _____; that is, crimes are defined by the legislatures of
the states and the
federal government.
A. common law
B. case law
C. statutory law
D. discretionary
5. _____ regularly refine and redefine criminal law.
A. The U.S. Congress and state legislatures
B. The U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate
C. The U.S. and state senates
D. The executive and judicial branches of the federal government
6. Although modern criminal law is essentially statutory, the role of the courts is
still required
because
A. common law, or case law, is still used for the most frequently committed
offenses, so
judges must review each of these cases individually.
B. common law takes precedence over statutory law in many jurisdictions, and the
two
systems often compete.
C. criminal statutes often contain vague or general language that requires courts
to interpret a
statute's meaning when applied to a particular case.
D. criminal statutes do not include any sentencing guidelines; therefore, a judge
is needed to
provide the appropriate punishments.
7. The common law in today's modern criminal justice system
A. defines nearly all the crimes covered in criminal law statutes in all
jurisdictions.
B. takes precedence over statutory law in many jurisdictions.
C. is usually preferred since statutory law is overly vague.
D. is a predecessor of today's statutory criminal law.
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Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or
distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
, Chapter 01–Nature, Origins, Purposes, Structure, and Operation of the Criminal
Justice System
8. Many states' modern criminal laws are codifications of the common law crimes,
and when
there is a question of statutory meaning, the courts
A. look to the common law definitions to help in understanding the term in
question.
B. revert to the common law definitions and punishments, since they are easier to
apply.
C. revert to the common law punishments, except for those involving the death
sentence.
D. consider the common law definitions only after exhausting all other means.
9. Much of the reform of English and American criminal law was influenced by
A. the American Law Institute (ALI).
B. Jeremy Bentham.
C. King George III.
D. the U.S. Supreme Court.
10. One reason for the decline of judicially created criminal law definitions is
the principle of
_____, which is a core concept of the American system of criminal justice.
A. common law
B. case law
C. legality
D. mens rea
11. According to the text, the establishment of the American Law Institute (ALI)
was a result
of
A. political rivalries and power struggles.
B. a desire to revive common law.
C. a quest for a newer, more flexible common law.
D. general dissatisfaction with the American criminal law.
12. Since the Civil War, federal criminal law has
A. expanded to overlap areas that previously were within the exclusive province of
the states.
B. shrunk in its influence, leaving states' rights relatively free.
C. taken over many states' rights, such as the control of state senates.
D. maintained approximately the same influence as before.
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Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or
distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
