Question 1

Confirmatory bias refers to:
A)when a specific suspect has been fixated upon and investigators ignore other possibilities.
B)when it is confirmed that the prosecution is biased against the suspect.
C)when a confirmation of racial bias is pending.
D)none of these describe the concept.

Accepted Answer

Confirmatory bias occurs when individuals focus on information that confirms their preconceptions or hypotheses while ignoring evidence that contradicts them. In the context of investigations, it refers to the tendency to fixate on a specific suspect and overlook other possibilities or evidence.

Question 2

Only recognizing evidence to fit one's theory is the definition of:
A)cognitive dissonance.
B)belief perseverance.
C)selective information processing.
D)confirmatory bias.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

Cummings used Bandura's moral disentanglement theory to explain:
A)intentional prosecutorial misconduct.
B)intentional judicial misconduct.
C)intentional misconduct of defense attorneys.
D)the presence of confirmatory biases in juries.

Accepted Answer

Cummings used Bandura's moral disentanglement theory to explain how prosecutors might justify unethical behavior, such as intentional prosecutorial misconduct, by disengaging from their moral standards.

Question 4

According to the text, the most common charge leveled against prosecutors is:
A)misusing pretrial publicity.
B)failure to disclose evidence.
C)supporting perjury.
D)using false evidence in court.

Accepted Answer

The most common charge leveled against prosecutors is failure to disclose evidence. This is because prosecutors are required by law to share any evidence that may be favorable to the defense, and failing to do so undermines the fairness of the trial.

Question 5

Brady violations relate to:
A)exculpatory evidence.
B)racial bias in jury selection.
C)improper relationships.
D)suborning perjury.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Brady violations relate to:
A)exculpatory evidence.
B)racial bias in...

Question 6

Believing one's original theory of the case despite evidence to the contrary is called:
A)cognitive dissonance.
B)belief perseverance.
C)selective information processing.
D)confirmatory bias.

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance is the phenomenon where people hold on to their initial beliefs even when new evidence shows those beliefs may be incorrect. This cognitive bias leads individuals to disregard or rationalize away evidence that contradicts their initial opinions.

Question 7

In terms of prosecutorial misconduct, Aronson and McMurtrie discussed the presence of all of the following elements except:
A)cognitive dissonance.
B)belief perseverance.
C)selective information processing.
D)emotional concord.

Accepted Answer

Aronson and McMurtrie's discussions on prosecutorial misconduct include cognitive dissonance, belief perseverance, and selective information processing, but they do not specifically mention "emotional concord" as a factor.

Question 8

Operation Greylord was corruption investigation which took place in:
A)Lucerne County, Pennsylvania.
B)Chicago, Illinois.
C)New York City.
D)Guantanamo, Cuba.

Accepted Answer

Operation Greylord was a corruption investigation that took place in Chicago, Illinois, targeting the Cook County Court system.

Question 9

Which of the following is not a criticism of how the Bar handles complaints of ethical violations?
A)Very few sanctions result from investigations.
B)The investigative bodies are secretive and informal.
C)Lawyers can often easily pay a fine to have the charges dismissed without an investigation.
D)Charges of incompetence are rarely investigated.

Accepted Answer

The criticism that lawyers can often easily pay a fine to have charges dismissed without an investigation is not a common criticism of how the Bar handles complaints of ethical violations. Typically, the process involves investigation and potential disciplinary action rather than a simple fine to dismiss charges.

Question 10

The Innocence Project is:
A)a loose affiliation of lawyers who identify cases where a prisoner may be innocent.
B)an attempt to educate judges and lawyers about the problems of unfair jury selection practices.
C)a project started in Dallas by county prosecutors in which all felony convictions are reviewed for accuracy.
D)an investigation that targeted corrupt judges.

Accepted Answer

The Innocence Project is a legal organization that focuses on exonerating wrongly convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices. It is known for identifying and working on cases where there is substantial evidence of innocence.

Question 11

Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project asserts that many of the Brady violations occurring in prosecutors' offices are due to:
A)police officers withholding evidence.
B)poor training.
C)prosecutors deliberately cheating in an effort to win cases.
D)prosecutors being overworked and careless.

Accepted Answer

Prosecutors being overworked and careless is the most common reason for Brady violations occurring in prosecutors' offices.

Question 12

In which case did the Supreme Court reject the argument that judicial review of eyewitness testimony was necessary?
A)Perry v. New Hampshire
B)Batson v. Kentucky
C)Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
D)Imbler v. Pachtman

Accepted Answer

In Perry v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court rejected the argument that judicial review of eyewitness testimony was necessary, affirming that the due process clause does not require a preliminary judicial assessment of the reliability of eyewitness identifications made under suggestive circumstances when the suggestiveness does not result from improper law enforcement action.

Question 13

The procedure for presenting a single suspect to an eyewitness for identification is known as a:
A)show-up.
B)lineup.
C)field identification.
D)photo array.

Accepted Answer

A show-up involves presenting a single suspect to an eyewitness for identification, typically soon after the crime has occurred, to confirm or refute the suspect's involvement.

Question 14

Brady violations refer to:
A)withholding exculpatory evidence.
B)using racial bias in jury selection.
C)having improper relationships with witnesses.
D)suborning perjury.

Accepted Answer

Brady violations occur when the prosecution fails to disclose evidence favorable to the defendant, which is material to either guilt or punishment. This is known as withholding exculpatory evidence.

Question 15

Which of the following is cited in the text as being more influential to juries than exculpatory DNA evidence?
A)False confessions
B)Racial bias
C)Confirmatory bias
D)Mistaken eyewitness testimony

Accepted Answer

False confessions are often cited as being more influential to juries than exculpatory DNA evidence because juries may find it difficult to believe that someone would confess to a crime they did not commit, even when DNA evidence suggests otherwise.

Question 16

According to the text, which of the following statements about judicial misconduct is false?
A)Public exposés of judicial misconduct are fairly rare.
B)There is a concern that judges and lawyers play to the camera when these are permitted in court.
C)In general, judges who are primarily concerned with their public image may make biased decisions.
D)Attorneys often file complaints against judges when misconduct is suspected.

Accepted Answer

Attorneys rarely file complaints against judges when misconduct is suspected.

Question 17

A study of exonerees found that _______ percent were minorities.
A)20
B)40
C)70
D)90

Accepted Answer

Studies on exonerees have consistently found that a disproportionately high percentage, around 70%, are minorities. This reflects broader issues of racial bias and disparities within the criminal justice system.

Question 18

Which Supreme Court Justice did not recuse himself from Hamdan v. Rumsfeld , despite having said publicly that giving due-process rights to detainees in Guantanamo was "crazy."
A)Ruth Bader Ginsburg
B)Antonin Scalia.
C)Neil Gorsuch
D)Anthony Kennedy

Accepted Answer

Justice Antonin Scalia did not recuse himself from the case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, despite having made public comments that suggested he had already formed an opinion on the matter, specifically regarding the provision of due-process rights to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Question 19

Which of the following would be least receptive to the concept of natural rights?
A)Interpretationists
B)Strict constructionists
C)Liberals
D)Activists

Accepted Answer

Strict constructionists are least receptive to the concept of natural rights because they focus on a literal or direct interpretation of the constitution or laws, often disregarding broader concepts like natural rights that are not explicitly mentioned in the legal texts.

Question 20

The first "conviction integrity unit" was established in which state?
A)Utah
B)Florida
C)Arizona
D)Texas

Accepted Answer

The first "conviction integrity unit" was established in Dallas County, Texas, in 2007, aimed at reviewing and re-investigating questionable convictions to prevent and correct wrongful convictions.

Quiz 10: Ethical Misconduct in the Courts and Responses

Confirmatory bias refers to:

Only recognizing evidence to fit one's theory is the definition of:

Cummings used Bandura's moral disentanglement theory to explain:

According to the text, the most common charge leveled against prosecutors is:

Brady violations relate to:

Believing one's original theory of the case despite evidence to the contrary is called:

In terms of prosecutorial misconduct, Aronson and McMurtrie discussed the presence of all of the following elements except:

Operation Greylord was corruption investigation which took place in:

Which of the following is not a criticism of how the Bar handles complaints of ethical violations?

The Innocence Project is:

Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project asserts that many of the Brady violations occurring in prosecutors' offices are due to:

In which case did the Supreme Court reject the argument that judicial review of eyewitness testimony was necessary?

The procedure for presenting a single suspect to an eyewitness for identification is known as a:

Brady violations refer to:

Which of the following is cited in the text as being more influential to juries than exculpatory DNA evidence?

According to the text, which of the following statements about judicial misconduct is false?

A study of exonerees found that _______ percent were minorities.

Which Supreme Court Justice did not recuse himself from Hamdan v. Rumsfeld , despite having said publicly that giving due-process rights to detainees in Guantanamo was "crazy."

Which of the following would be least receptive to the concept of natural rights?

The first "conviction integrity unit" was established in which state?