The United States Supreme Court struck down the portion of the Brady Bill which
compelled local law enforcement to perform background checks on handgun applicants,
holding the requirement violated:
a. the right to privacy.
b. separate state sovereignty
c. the commerce clause.
d. the Fourth Amendment.
The ____________ Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
a. Twenty-Sixth (1971)
b. Nineteenth (1920)
c. Twenty-Seventh (1992)
d. Twenty-Second (1951)
Which of the following is not an officer of the court?
a. Sheriff
b. Judge
c. Lawyers
d. Plaintiff
The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against excessive fines:
a. applies to states because of the Fourteenth Amendment.
b. applies to states because it is an important part of our system of justice.
c. does not apply to any states.
d. does not apply to all states, but does apply to some.
Cultural and ethnic diversity has always been an attribute of America.
What level of proof is required for a Terry stop?
a. reasonable suspicion
b. probable cause.
c. preponderance of the evidence.
d. no proof is required.
Which of the following statements about the National Reporter System is not true?
a. It is the official reporting system for the U.S. Supreme Court.
b. It publishes seven regional sets of volumes.
c. It publishes individual sets of volumes for specific states.
d. It contains court decisions of cases decided from about 1887 to present.
Deterring government misconduct is the primary purpose of the:
a. good faith exception
b. exclusionary rule
c. Supreme Court
d. citizen review board
When reading case law, it is helpful to think in reverse because:
a. the opinion usually starts with the holding, which is the end result of the
deliberations, and then provides an explanation.
b. the opinion begins with the policies and reasons that support the holding.
c. the reader must research earlier decisions for the rule of law.
d. all cases preceding the ruling are summarized first in the opinion.
Simply put, a law is:
a. that which those in power deem to be right and just.
b. a rule with the power of government behind it.
c. a matter of interpretation, being different things to different people.
d. the way a society is defined.
The precedent case for analyzing confession issues is:
a. Terry v. Ohio.
b. Miranda v. Arizona.
c. Escobedo v. Illinois.
d. Massiah v. United States.
Which of the following does not have complete immunity from arrest?
a. Families of foreign diplomats
b. Servants of foreign diplomats
c. State legislators
d. Foreign diplomats
The exclusionary rule:
a. is a constitutional right under the Fourth Amendment
b. is a Congressionally created remedy
c. was promulgated by the Senate.
d. safeguards rights through its deterrent effect.
In United States v. Ursery, the Supreme Court ruled that since forfeiture is a civil
action, not an additional criminal action, it is not:
a. double jeopardy
b. an excessive fine
c. cruel and unusual punishment
d. applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment
In Griswold v. Connecticut, Justice Douglas stated that the various Bill of Rights
guarantees–such as those contained in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth
Amendments–created areas of life safe from government intrusion known as:
a. emanating liberties
b. specific rights
c. zones of privacy
d. havens of liberty
All of the following are true of the exclusionary rule, except:
a. is used to discourage the police from violating a person’s constitutional rights.
b. is judge-made law.
c. excludes illegally obtained evidence from trial.
d. it provides for criminal sanctions against the officer.
The Supreme Court has said that a Fourth Amendment _________ is a governmental
infringement of a legitimate expectation of privacy.
a. search
b. seizure
c. arrest
d. investigative stop
The Second Continental Congress resulted in all of the following, except:
a. the naming of George Washington as Commander of the Continental Army.
b. the battles at Lexington and Concord.
c. instructing each colony to assume the powers of independent states.
d. the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Which of the following gives a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that
place, and any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an
intrusion that may lead to violent attack?
a. The Fourth Amendment
b. The Brady Act
c. Castle laws
d. The Second Amendment
Supreme Court decisions that are pro-person accused or convicted of a crime, pro-civil
liberties or civil rights claimants, pro-indigents, pro-Native Americans and anti-
government are considered to be:
a. Liberal decisions
b. Conservative decisions
c. Libertarian decisions
d. Independent decisions
The Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws to carry out its enumerated
powers through the:
a. supremacy clause
b. federal powers doctrine
c. necessary and proper clause
d. due diligence doctrine
In Ex parte McCardle (1868), Congress reserved the right to:
a. overrule Supreme Court decisions with a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
b. limit the jurisdiction of federal courts, including the Supreme Court.
c. limit the jurisdiction of federal courts, but not the Supreme Court.
d. override the Constitution by promulgating unconstitutional law.
In ____________, the Supreme Court upheld the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
a. United States v. Darby
b. Bowers v. Hardwick
c. Olmstead v. United States
d. McCulloch v. Maryland
Griswold v. Connecticut is considered the first case in which the Supreme Court
addressed the Ninth Amendment, and dealt with the legality of :
a. pornography
b. abortion
c. interracial marriage
d. contraception
In Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the Supreme Court cited Thomas Jefferson,
stating that the ____________ was intended to erect a “wall of separation between
Church and State.”
a. establishment of religion clause
b. free exercise clause
c. separation of parochial and secular schools
d. “excessive entanglement” test
The Supreme Court held that “In terms that apply equally to seizures of property and to
seizures of persons, the Fourth Amendment has drawn a firm line at the entrance to the
house”Absent exigent circumstances, that threshold may not reasonably be crossed
without a warrant” in:
a. Payton v. New York
b. Illinois v. Wardlow
c. United States v. Watson
d. Tennessee v. Garner
Police may make a warrantless arrest based on probable cause in all of the following
circumstances, except:
a. felony committed in their presence.
b. an unwitnessed felony.
c. most misdemeanors occurring outside their presence.
d. any crime in their presence.
It is not unconstitutional to obtain a confession by:
a. deprivation of food, drink, and sleep
b. psychological coercion
c. trickery and deceit
d. threats, but not acts, of violence
The concept that courts will continue to rely on prior cases to ensure consistency in the
law is called:
a. original jurisprudence.
b. lex talionis
c. stare decisis.
d. venue.
Limited searches conducted in accordance with constitutional guidelines serve society’s
needs while:
a. protecting the individual.
b. preserving the admissibility of any discovered evidence.
c. preventing improper conduct by overzealous law enforcement agents.
d. serving to protect against a successful appeal of a conviction.
Which of the following is an example of a legal citation?
a. 42 USC 1983.
b. Reader’s Digest, page 25.
c. Law Week, Issue 17, page A4.
d. “Reversed and remanded.”
A basic professional skill is to regularly review:
a. case briefs.
b. news sources.
c. legal dictionaries.
d. law journals.
Whether there is a right to a federal jury trial is based largely on:
a. previous cases heard and common law analysis.
b. the geographical jurisdiction of the offense.
c. whether or not the issue is of local or national importance.
d. whether or not federal civil remedies are sought.
A peremptory challenge seeks to remove a potential juror for:
a. lack of knowledge or intelligence.
b. bias for the defendant.
c. bias against the defendant
d. any reason whatsoever.
Anderson v. Smith is an example of a case’s _______________.
Discuss capital punishment in the United Statesits history, how the Supreme Court has
viewed it, and how and on whom it may be carried out.
The Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot require children to pledge allegiance to
the United States each day.
The first two requirements for a criminal trial are that it be speedy and ____________.
Officers are required to inform people that they have the right to refuse consent to
search.
The doctrine of stare decisis firmly prevents the law from changing or reconsidering
itself in matters in which undesirable law resulted.
Describe what affirmative action programs are, where they are used, and discuss
whether you feel they are effective. Are they appropriate? Are they fair?
The Tenth Amendment embodies the principle of federalism.
Discuss how protestors are protected and restricted by the First Amendment.
The __________ is an invaluable tool in researching the law and has made the law
more readily accessible to the people it is intended to serve.
Discuss the concept of federalism and how it is embodied in the Tenth Amendment
The ________ Amendment established the right to a federal jury trial for all “suits at
common law” if the value was over $20.
When officers arrest someone in a home, they are allowed to make a ____________ for
their safety.
Explain when an arrest may be made.
Police may not enter a private home without the appropriate warrant(s) to make a
routine felony arrest unless ______________ exist.
Describe the rights protected by the Eighth Amendment and which, if any, have been
incorporated to apply to the states.
Explain the process used in deciding which cases will be heard by the Supreme Court.
A portion of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1967 made possession
of a firearm by convicted felons unlawful.
Discuss the authority and goals of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.
What are some concerns about the legislation?
List the elements of an arrest.