Criminal Trial and Sentencing MCQs

Criminal Trial and Sentencing MCQs

Answer these 40+ Criminal Trial and Sentencing MCQs and assess your grip on the subject of Criminal Trial and Sentencing.
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1: To free someone from a criminal charge following a not guilty verdict is known as _____

A.   Acquit

B.   Quit

C.   Adjudicate

D.   Both a and c

2: To render a _____ judgment about a disputed matter is known as Adjudicate.

A.   Formal

B.   Informal

C.   Semi Formal

D.   Both a and b

3: Additional instructions a judge may give to a deliberating jury to discourage a mistrial is known as ______

A.   Allen Charge

B.   Bench Trial

C.   Civil Trial

D.   Bifurcated Trial

4: Bench Trial is a trial in which a judge (or panel of judges) _____ and renders a judgment.

A.   Acts as the fact finder

B.   Weighs the evidence

C.   Deliberates

D.   All of these

5: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is the level of proof required for a criminal case conviction. Refers to a reasonable person having no reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty as charged.

A.   True

B.   False

6: Bifurcated trial is a double trial system used for capital cases. The first trial is the guilt trial, while the second determines______.

A.   Case profile

B.   Deliberation

C.   Punishment

D.   All of these

7: Evidence that requires the fact-finding body to interpret it and draw conclusions about its meaning refers to _____ Evidence.

A.   Circumstantial

B.   Direct

C.   Indirect

D.   Both a and b

8: _____ are Trials used to settle disputes between two parties that do not involve criminal misconduct.

A.   Civil

B.   Bifurcated

C.   Bench

D.   Both a and b

9: Crime Vicitm’s Rights Act _____ law that established numerous rights for crime victims in federal cases.

A.   2001

B.   2002

C.   2003

D.   2004

10: Trials to ascertain the guilt or lack of guilt of defendants charged with committing crimes refers to ______

A.   Bifurcated Trials

B.   Civil Trials

C.   Bench Trials

D.   Criminal Trials

11: A hung jury that is unable to reach an agreement regarding the guilt or innocence of a defendant is said to be_____.

A.   Deadlock

B.   Locked up

C.   Death nonqualified

D.   Both a and b

12: _____ is a part of voir dire in capital cases in which attorneys ascertain whether the prospective juror is suitable to sit on a case that may result in the death penalty.

A.   Death imposed

B.   Death guilty

C.   Death qualified

D.   None of these

13: The jury process of deciding the guilt or lack of guilt of the defendant is known as _____

A.   Deliberation

B.   Deadlock

C.   Deterrence

D.   None of these

14: A type of structured sentencing that is established by legislative statute and rules out the possibility of alternatives to_____

A.   Death

B.   Prison

C.   Freedom

D.   Both a and b

15: Sentencing goal that seeks to dissuade the offender and others in the private from committing crime is known as Deterrence.

A.   True

B.   False

16: Sentencing goal that seeks to dissuade the offender and others in the public from committing crime is known as _____

A.   Direct Evidence

B.   Indirect Evidence

C.   Circumstantial Evidence

D.   Both a and c

17: An exception to the hearsay rule that allows the dying words of a witness to a crime to be used in court is known as _____

A.   Death Qualified

B.   Dying Declaration

C.   Death Utterance

D.   Both b and c

18: Equity is a sentencing concept that emphasizes that similar crimes be punished in _____

A.   Similar ways

B.   With similar severity

C.   Both

D.   None

19: Excited utterance is an exception to the hearsay rule—a statement made by a person during a _____ event.

A.   Shocking

B.   Upsetting

C.   Pleasurable

D.   Both a and b

20: _____ refers to whether the defendant actually committed a crime.

A.   Factual Guilt

B.   Legal Guilt

C.   Both

D.   None

21: Federal rules of Evidence guide _____

A.   What is evidence

B.   What can be introduced in a trial

C.   Both

D.   None

22: Federal Sentencing Guidelines Act _____ law that eliminated parole release for federal prisoners and abolished almost all good time earned by prisoners.

A.   1982

B.   1983

C.   1984

D.   1985

23: An out-of-court statement offered in court to prove the truth of the matter asserted is known as Hearsay.

A.   True

B.   False

24: A basic rule that hearsay is _____ in court is known as Hearsay Rule.

A.   Admissible

B.   Inadmissible

C.   Both

D.   None

25: A jury that is unable to reach an agreement regarding the guilt or innocence of the defendant is known as _____

A.   Deadlocked jury

B.   Hung jury

C.   Death jury

D.   Both a and b

26: Ability of a jury to ignore the law and acquit a guilty defendant is known as ______

A.   Jury nullification

B.   Jury guilt

C.   Jury trial

D.   None of these

27: Jury Trial is a trial in which the jury____

A.   Acts as the fact finder

B.   Weighs the evidence

C.   Deliberates and renders a verdict

D.   All of these

28: Established when a prosecutor is able to persuade a judge or jury that the defendant is guilty of the criminal charges is known as _____

A.   Factual Guilt

B.   Legal Guilt

C.   Illegal Guilt

D.   Both a and b

29: A form of structured sentencing that applies statutebased minimum sanctions to particular types of crime and/or when particular elements of a crime exist is known as _____

A.   Particular minimum

B.   Mandatory minimum

C.   Exclusively minimum

D.   None of these

30: A courtroom trial that ends prior to its _____ conclusion is known as Mistrial.

A.   Normal

B.   Special

C.   Exceptional

D.   None of these

31: Parole Board is a board that reviews the prior ______ of an inmate to determine when the prisoner is to be released from prison.

A.   Acts

B.   Behaviors

C.   Crimes

D.   Both a and b

32: _____ template to be used when charging the jury is known as Pattern Jury Instructions.

A.   Language

B.   Writing

C.   Both a and b

D.   Instructions

33: Perjury is a _____ intentional swearing of a false oath or misrepresenting of an agreement to be truthful.

A.   Spoken

B.   Written

C.   Both

D.   None

34: Presentence Investigation is an investigation that gathers information on extenuating circumstances and the criminal history of the defendant to be used when determining the _____ of the sentence.

A.   Duration

B.   Type

C.   Severity

D.   All of these

35: _____ is a sentencing concept that indicates that the severity of sentencing should correspond to the severity of the crime committed.

A.   Equality

B.   Division

C.   Proportionality

D.   None of these

36: Reading of the Verdict is a formal event in the courtroom in which the jury offers their verdict on the charge(s).

A.   True

B.   False

37: In some criminal trials, the prosecutors have the last opportunity to speak during closing arguments. Other forms of rebuttal may include _____

A.   Evidence

B.   Argument

C.   Both

D.   None

38: Reputation Concerning Character is an exception to the hearsay rule that allows witnesses to testify under oath about the reputation of a _____

A.   Person only

B.   Person’s friend

C.   Acquaintances

D.   Both b and c

39: Restoration is a sentencing goal that addresses the harm done to _____

A.   Victims

B.   Family and friends of victims

C.   Community

D.   All of these

40: Sentencing Guidelines is a type of structured sentencing based on _____, usually presented in a grid format that dictates the sentence served.

A.   Criminal history

B.   Severity of crime

C.   Both

D.   None

41: When a jury is isolated to prevent _____, which may influence the verdict,it is called Sequestered.

A.   Conflict

B.   Contact from outside

C.   Biasness

D.   Both a and b

42: A sentencing concept that takes into account an offender’s criminal past is known as _____

A.   Social Debt

B.   Political Debt

C.   Community Debt

D.   None of these

43: A type of mandatory minimum that mandates long (including life) prison terms for a _____ offense is known as Three Strikes Law.

A.   Three

B.   Six

C.   Nine

D.   Any of these

44: Traffic Hearings are used to deal with _____ offenses.

A.   Traffic

B.   Street

C.   Housebreak

D.   All of these

45: _____ Adopted in many states, it offers rights to crime victims.

A.   Victim Bill of Rights

B.   Civil Bill of Rights

C.   Human Bill of Rights

D.   Both a and b

46: Victim Impact Statement is a statement prepared by the victim or their family to inform the judge how the crime affected them physically and _____

A.   Financially

B.   Emotionally

C.   Psychologically

D.   All of these

47: Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is a 1994 law that requires prisoners to serve at least____ % of their sentences in order for states to qualify for federal financial aid.

A.   65

B.   75

C.   85

D.   95