If a witness is attempting to identify a person of another race, the chances of
misidentification are increased.
a. True
b. False
In South Dakota v. Opperman (1976), the police conducted an inventory search in
which they searched Opperman’s car after towing it to an impound lot because it was
parked illegally. They found marijuana during a search of the glove compartment. The
Supreme Court decided that the search of the glove comparment:
a. violated the U.S. Constitution.
b. did not violate the U.S. Constitution because it was a legitimate inventory search.
c. violated the U.S. Constitution because it was conducted on a suspicion that drugs
were in Opperman’s glove compartment.
d. did not violate the U.S. Constitution because drugs were discovered in the glove
compartment.
Which of the following is NOT one of the reforms aimed at reducing the false
confession problem?
a. Eliminate police use of false information during interrogation
b. Reduce the length of time in custody and interrogation
c. Record interrogations and confessions
d. Limiting the Miranda warning
Most courts require that a factual basis for the plea be established before the court will
accept the plea.
a. True
b. False
Which of the following is NOT one of the three established justifications for the
exclusionary rule?
a. Deterrence justification
b. Constitutional justification
c. Judicial integrity justification
d. State’s right justification
If a justice agrees with the decision reached in another opinion but writes a separate
opinion explaining her own reasons for reaching that decision, she has written a
______opinion.
a. dissenting
b. plurality
c. concurring
d. reasoning
A batch of letter sized airmail envelopes from a county well known as a source of
narcotics, that were bulky and much heavier than ordinary airmail letters, are stopped at
the Post Office in New York. A U.S. Customs Inspector opens the letters and finds
heroin. No search warrant was sought. Would this be considered an illegal search and
seizure?
a. Yes, because there was no probable cause to link the envelopes to any specific crime;
smuggling or not.
b. No, because it constitutes a “border search” and anything crossing the border falls
within this exception.
c. No, but only because “probable cause” was not articulated nor was a search warrant
obtained.
d. No, it would only be admissible with a warrant or with consent, regardless of the
border issue, since it involved the U.S. Mail.
In Booker v. U.S., the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines:
a. are advisory, but enjoy a presumption of reasonableness.
b. are advisory and judges can depart without explanation.
c. are mandatory for all federal crimes.
d. are mandatory for certain serious felonies.
The Supreme Court has not applied the Fourth Amendment to ‘special needs” that aren”t
directly related to criminal law enforcement.
a. True
b. False
The open fields doctrine protects land from intrusion where owners have put up “no
trespassing” signs.
a. True
b. False
A habeas corpus proceeding which is a separate civil action that does not challenge the
guilt of the defendant, but instead the lawfulness of the defendant’s imprisonment is
referred to as a(n):
a. collateral attack.
b. writ of error
c. injunction
d. collateral estoppel
The border search exception allows searches at international borders without warrants
or probable cause.
a. True
b. False
Law enforcement officers often prefer searches without warrants because of the time or
effort it takes to get a warrant issued.
a. True
b. False
Subjective intentions of the police play an important role in ordinary, probable cause
Fourth Amendment analysis.
a. True
b. False
According to the Supreme Court opinion in U.S. v. Sharpe, concerning a determination
of how long police officers can detain suspects during lawful stops:
a. a “bright line” rule of one hour is used to determine whether an investigative
detention is reasonable.
b. Any stop more than twenty minutes, without an arrest, is unreasonable.
c. Officers can detain suspects, without arresting them, for twelve hours.
d. In evaluating whether an investigative stop is unreasonable, a flexible approach using
common sense and ordinary experience must govern.
In Demore v. Kim, the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory detention for criminal
aliens pending removal proceedings always violates due process.
a. True
b. False
Examples of direct evidence that police can use to build probable cause include:
a. a DNA profile, a suspect fleeing an office, and a suspect making furtive movements.
b. a suspect fleeing an officer and a suspect making furtive movements.
c. a DNA profile.
d. a tip from a reliable informant and a suspect fleeing an officer.
In Illinois v. Rodriguez (1990), the police conducted the consent search of the suspect’s
apartment based on the consent of the suspect’s former girlfriend. According to the
Supreme Court’s opinion:
a. third party consent cannot be used to enter a person’s home whether to make an arrest
or search.
b. the third party giving consent to search must have actual authority over the premises.
c. the warrantless entry to search based on third party consent is valid if the officer
reasonably believes that the person consenting had authority to consent.
d. search completed pursuant to an officer’s reasonable but mistaken belief that a third
party had authority to consent violates the Fourth Amendment.
International border searches are based on a compelling interest held by the U.S.
government to maintain security.
Which of the following statements accurately describes this issue?
a. International border searches are based on a compelling interest held by the U.S.
government to maintain security. Which of the following statements accurately
describes this issue?.
b. Border searches do not apply to Americans returning to the U.S. from vacation.
c. Stemming the flow of drugs into the U.S. is one rationale for border searches without
reasonable suspicion.
d. Border stops are always unconstitutional if they involve vehicle searches.
As per Maryland v. Wilson (1997), police officers who have effected a traffic stop can
choose to remove _______from the stopped vehicle to maximize personal safety.
a. drivers
b. animals
c. passengers
d. weapons
Most police believe internal affairs unit are necessary.
a. True
b. False
The Fourth Amendment protects abandoned property.
a. True
b. False
Suing governmental bodies under Section 1983 is more complicated than suing
individuals.
a. True
b. False
A proper “frisk” under the stopandfrisk rules established by Terry v. Ohio:
a. is limited to a patdown of the suspect’s outer clothing unless something that could be
a weapon is felt during the pat-down.
b. may not be conducted unless there is no doubt in the mind of the officer that the
suspect has a weapon.
c. may include a search of an area within 100 yards of the suspect if the pat-down
results in the feeling of an object which could be a weapon.
d. may not even extend to a pat-down unless the officer has probable cause to believe
the suspect has a weapon.
The landmark Supreme Court case of Tennessee v. Garner(1985) involved the authority
of police to use deadly force to stop fleeing felons. In this case, the Supreme Court held
that:
a. deadly force could be used only if the officer using deadly force had probable cause
to believe the fleeing felon posed a physical danger to himself or others.
b. the Constitution does not address such a situation.
c. deadly force could be used only if the officer using it had reasonable suspicion that
the fleeing felon posed a physical danger to himself or others.
d. deadly force could be used by the officer only if there was no other means reasonably
available to stop the fleeing felon.
According to research conducted by Elizabeth Loftus, witnesses often added to their
stories of crimes:
a. based on the suggestions made to them about what happened.
b. if they were pressed by officials for more detail.
c. when they felt as if officials did not believe their original story.
d. when they felt as if their memory was fading.
According to State v. Ellis, searches of college dormitory rooms:
a. are not protected by the Fourth Amendment.
b. by university officials require reasonable suspicion.
c. are governed by the same standards for searches of elementary and high school
students.
d. do not require a warrant or probable cause when conducted by university residence
hall staff officials for health and safety reasons.
According to the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, involving a man who confessed
to rape following police interrogation:
a. the Fifth Amendment protects suspects during custodial police interrogation.
b. the Sixth Amendment protects suspects from all questioning by police.
c. the Fifth Amendment only protects suspects from questioning in police stations.
d. warnings are required whenever police question citizens.
According to Schmerber v. California (1966), the U.S Supreme Court decided that:
a. vaginal swabs could be taken from a suspect in custody without a warrant in order to
build a character- based profile.
b. blood extraction without consent was permissible to produce a sample that could be
analyzed for evidentiary use.
c. saliva samples could be taken from a used water bottle without violating a person’s
right not to be “compelled” to bear witness against himself.
d. DNA samples could be taken against a person’s will without violating his/her Fifth
Amendment protections
Nearly ________people are locked up in jail before they are convicted or released.
a. 250,000
b. 500,000
c. 750,000
d. 1 million
According to the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, when must the police stop an
interrogation?
a. When the suspect requests an attorney AND when the suspect indicates in any
manner than they wish to remain silent.
b. When the suspect indicates doubt about the crime and the circumstances of the crime.
c. When the suspect requests to see their spouse.
d. When the suspect requests an attorney OR when the suspect indicates in any manner
that they wish to remain silent.
According to the Supreme Court in New York v. Belton, involving a search of the
passenger compartment of a car and its contents incident to an arrest:
a. police may always search if they have probable cause to do so.
b. officers must have probable cause to search the passenger compartment.
c. when a police officer has made a lawful custodial arrest of the occupant of an
automobile a contemporaneous search of the passenger compartment is incident to the
arrest.
d. officers may search containers found in the passenger compartment if they have
reasonable suspicion the containers hold contraband or weapons.
By 1970, which of the following ideas did NOT dominate thinking about sentencing?
a. Sentencing should have rehabilitation of the offender at least as a partial goal.
b. Repeat career criminals require severe punishment to incapacitate them.
c. Many offenders deserve severe punishment because they have committed serious
crimes.
d. All crimes deserve some punishment to retain the deterrent potency of the criminal
law.
Which of the following is NOT considered a mitigating circumstance in a death penalty
case?
a. Killing to avoid arrest
b. No significant prior criminal record
c. Minor participant in the murder
d. Youth at the time of the murder
This rationale for due process is based on the idea that admitting unreliable evidence
denies defendants the right to their life. This is referred to as the ________rationale.
a. states rights
b. reliability
c. forced confessions
d. Miranda