Question 1

Concerning the functioning of 12-member juries, social scientists have found that:

Accepted Answer

Research in social psychology and legal studies has shown that larger juries, such as those with 12 members, tend to deliberate more thoroughly and have a greater diversity of viewpoints, which can lead to more accurate and reliable verdicts compared to smaller juries.

Question 2

What is the instruction that tells jurors they can infer that the witness's testimony would have been unfavorable to the prosecution?

Accepted Answer

A missing witness instruction allows jurors to infer that a witness's absence and thus their testimony would have been unfavorable to the party expected to call them, often the prosecution in criminal cases. This is based on the assumption that if the party had favorable evidence from that witness, they would have presented it.

Question 3

To have a valid guilty plea, a defendant who pleads guilty must:

Accepted Answer

A valid guilty plea requires that the defendant enters the plea voluntarily and with full knowledge of the consequences, ensuring that the plea is made with an understanding of the rights being waived.

Question 4

What is the name of the group of eligible citizens from which the potential jurors are drawn?

Accepted Answer

A jury panel is the correct term for the group of eligible citizens from which potential jurors are drawn for jury duty.

Question 5

Which of the following interests is promoted through guilty pleas?

Accepted Answer

Guilty pleas promote efficiency by streamlining the judicial process, reducing the need for lengthy trials, and allowing the court system to handle more cases with its limited resources.

Question 6

According to SCOTUS:

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has indicated that the tradition of a 12-member jury is more of an historical accident rather than a constitutionally mandated requirement. This perspective suggests that the specific number of jurors was not a deliberate choice enshrined in law for its intrinsic qualities.

Question 7

What plea bargaining model assumes that prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys act rationally to forecast the outcome of a trial?

Accepted Answer

The "shadow of trial" model assumes that all parties involved in plea bargaining act rationally to predict the likely outcome of a trial, influencing their decisions during negotiations.

Question 8

Which type of criminal justice professional usually opposes plea bargaining?

Accepted Answer

Police officers often oppose plea bargaining because they may feel that it undermines their efforts in apprehending the suspect and that the reduced charges or lighter sentences do not adequately reflect the severity of the crime.

Question 9

Plea bargaining that involves the exchange of a guilty plea for a reduction in either the number or severity of criminal charges is known as:

Accepted Answer

Charge bargaining involves the negotiation process where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for having more serious charges dropped or reduced. This is a common form of plea bargaining.

Question 10

Jury trials promote which of the following interests?

Accepted Answer

Jury trials promote procedural regularity by ensuring that legal proceedings follow established rules and procedures, including the right to a fair trial and the impartial determination of facts.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the purpose of opening statements?

Accepted Answer

Opening statements are designed to give the jury a general overview of what each side intends to prove during the trial. They outline the key points and the narrative each side will present, setting the stage for the evidence and arguments to follow.

Question 12

What plea bargaining model assumes that legally irrelevant factors sometimes skew the fair allocation of punishment?

Accepted Answer

The "outside the 'shadow of trial' model" assumes that factors not directly related to the legal merits of a case (legally irrelevant factors) can influence the outcome of plea bargaining, leading to disparities in punishment that do not align with the fair allocation based on the legal aspects of the case.

Question 13

In what case did SCOTUS hold that the Sixth Amendment only demands enough jurors to achieve the goals of a jury trial, which are to find the truth and to allow for community participation in criminal justice decision making?

Accepted Answer

In Williams v. Florida, the Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment does not require a jury of 12 members, but only enough jurors to achieve the goals of a jury trial, which include finding the truth and allowing for community participation in the criminal justice process.

Question 14

Which amendment to the Constitution provides defendants with the right to a speedy trial?

Accepted Answer

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a speedy and public trial.

Question 15

What term refers to the strongly documented finding that people don't "attempt to ruthlessly maximize utility"?

Accepted Answer

Bounded rationality refers to the concept that in decision-making, individuals are limited by the information they have, the cognitive limitations of their minds, and the finite amount of time they have to make a decision. It acknowledges that while people aim to make rational choices, their ability to do so is constrained, leading them not to "ruthlessly maximize utility" but to seek satisfactory solutions.

Question 16

Which amendment to the Constitution protects defendants from incriminating themselves?

Accepted Answer

The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution includes protections against self-incrimination, stating that no person "shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." This is often summarized as the right to remain silent.

Question 17

According to the moral seriousness standard, the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial extends to crimes that:

Accepted Answer

The moral seriousness standard extends the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial to crimes that are considered morally serious and can lead to jail time, regardless of the length of imprisonment.

Question 18

According to SCOTUS, a jury's verdict in a criminal case must be unanimous when there are only how many jurors?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to SCOTUS, a jury's verdict in...

Question 19

What occurs after the opening statement in a trial?

Accepted Answer

After the opening statement in a trial, the next step is the presentation of the evidence. This is when both the prosecution and the defense present their evidence and witnesses to support their cases.

Question 20

According to the doctrine of jury nullification:

Accepted Answer

Jury nullification occurs when a jury acquits a defendant even if the evidence clearly proves their guilt, often because the jurors believe the law is unjust or should not be applied in that particular case.

Quiz 13: Court Proceedings II Trial and Conviction