Question 1

Most trials are known as "bench trials," which means that

Accepted Answer

A) the defendant's fate is left to a randomly selected jury. 
B) the prosecution must prove a certain percentage of facts before getting a conviction. 
C) a seated jury will decide the case,but it does not have to be unanimous. 
D) a single judge runs the trial and makes the final decision. 
A) the defendant's fate is left to a randomly selected jury. 
B) the prosecution must prove a certain percentage of facts before getting a conviction. 
C) a seated jury will decide the case,but it does not have to be unanimous. 
D) a single judge runs the trial and makes the final decision. D

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT true regarding analyses of the effect of judicial selection mechanisms?

Accepted Answer

A) State judges are overwhelmingly middle-aged,middle-class,white,and male. 
B) Elections tend to reduce the level of racial and ethnic diversity among judges. 
C) Female judicial candidates do worse in election systems,even though they constitute a slight majority in most states. 
D) The type of judicial selection results in major differences in judicial decision making. 
A) State judges are overwhelmingly middle-aged,middle-class,white,and male. 
B) Elections tend to reduce the level of racial and ethnic diversity among judges. 
C) Female judicial candidates do worse in election systems,even though they constitute a slight majority in most states. 
D) The type of judicial selection results in major differences in judicial decision making. D

Question 3

The neutral entity that makes an authoritative decision and is comprised of a cross-section of the community is known as the

Accepted Answer

A) judge. 
B) jury. 
C) prosecution. 
D) attorney. 
A) judge. 
B) jury. 
C) prosecution. 
D) attorney. B

Question 4

In Iowa in 2010,three Supreme Court Justices

Accepted Answer

A) decided to retire after their controversial decision legalizing same-sex marriage. 
B) lost their merit retention elections. 
C) were elected to the bench in the most expensive partisan races in the history of the state. 
D) created an innovative collective political action committee to promote their candidacies for reelection. 
A) decided to retire after their controversial decision legalizing same-sex marriage. 
B) lost their merit retention elections. 
C) were elected to the bench in the most expensive partisan races in the history of the state. 
D) created an innovative collective political action committee to promote their candidacies for reelection.

Question 5

Which of the following courts tends to be the only one seen fit for television drama series?

Accepted Answer

A) Trial courts 
B) Intermediate courts of appeal 
C) Supreme courts 
D) District courts 
A) Trial courts 
B) Intermediate courts of appeal 
C) Supreme courts 
D) District courts

Question 6

Approximately what percentage of cases moves beyond trial courts?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 percent 
B) 5 percent 
C) 15 percent 
D) 33 percent 
A) 1 percent 
B) 5 percent 
C) 15 percent 
D) 33 percent

Question 7

Which state was the first to adopt and utilize the Merit Plan?

Accepted Answer

A) Montana 
B) Mississippi 
C) Maine 
D) Missouri 
A) Montana 
B) Mississippi 
C) Maine 
D) Missouri

Question 8

What is the role of state supreme courts in affecting public policy? Do you think the courts should impact public policy? Citing some examples,make your case.

Accepted Answer

The role of state supreme courts in affe

Question 9

Which of the following regarding state court systems is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A) Most state court judges facing merit elections fail to be retained for another term. 
B) As with the federal court system,most state court judges are appointed to the bench for life. 
C) According to the American Bar Association,roughly 10 percent of state supreme court judges are qualified for the bench. 
D) Unlike the federal court system,most state court judges must sometimes face the voters. 
A) Most state court judges facing merit elections fail to be retained for another term. 
B) As with the federal court system,most state court judges are appointed to the bench for life. 
C) According to the American Bar Association,roughly 10 percent of state supreme court judges are qualified for the bench. 
D) Unlike the federal court system,most state court judges must sometimes face the voters.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT true regarding judges that are elected to the bench?

Accepted Answer

A) Elected judges' decisions tend to reflect the ideology and values of their state's citizens. 
B) Elected judges tend to adjust their voting as elections approach. 
C) Judicial elections lead to less plea bargaining,more trials,and more dissenting opinions on controversial issues in Supreme Court decisions. 
D) Judges elected on partisan ballots tend to grant higher awards to injured parties than judges selected through other systems. 
A) Elected judges' decisions tend to reflect the ideology and values of their state's citizens. 
B) Elected judges tend to adjust their voting as elections approach. 
C) Judicial elections lead to less plea bargaining,more trials,and more dissenting opinions on controversial issues in Supreme Court decisions. 
D) Judges elected on partisan ballots tend to grant higher awards to injured parties than judges selected through other systems.

Question 11

What are the different methods that states use for selecting judges? Why is there such variance across the states? Which system do you think is the best? Why?

Accepted Answer

The different methods that states use fo

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true regarding state court organizational structures?

Accepted Answer

A) California has a very simple structure,with only one type of court at each of the three levels. 
B) Typically,the more recently a court system has been overhauled,the more complex it is. 
C) New York has an extremely complex structure. 
D) More complex court structures make the system less understandable to the average person. 
A) California has a very simple structure,with only one type of court at each of the three levels. 
B) Typically,the more recently a court system has been overhauled,the more complex it is. 
C) New York has an extremely complex structure. 
D) More complex court structures make the system less understandable to the average person.

Question 13

State courts are a central part of government,not only enforcing the law and settling conflicts,but sometimes

Accepted Answer

A) even passing their own constitutional amendments. 
B) even making public policy. 
C) even overruling the United States Supreme Court. 
D) even opting to increase the size of the state judiciary. 
A) even passing their own constitutional amendments. 
B) even making public policy. 
C) even overruling the United States Supreme Court. 
D) even opting to increase the size of the state judiciary.

Question 14

The power to judge whether a statute violates the state's constitution and ability to nullify that law is known as

Accepted Answer

A) judicial nullification. 
B) judicial dissent. 
C) statutory revision. 
D) judicial review. 
A) judicial nullification. 
B) judicial dissent. 
C) statutory revision. 
D) judicial review.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT true regarding plea bargaining?

Accepted Answer

A) If plea bargains were nonexistent,the cost to the state would be astronomical. 
B) Completely innocent people charged with a crime may be intimidated into pleading guilty to reduce a potentially long sentence. 
C) Plea bargains give victims of crime the feeling that they have received justice. 
D) The already-slow progress of cases through the courts would grind to a halt without plea bargains. 
A) If plea bargains were nonexistent,the cost to the state would be astronomical. 
B) Completely innocent people charged with a crime may be intimidated into pleading guilty to reduce a potentially long sentence. 
C) Plea bargains give victims of crime the feeling that they have received justice. 
D) The already-slow progress of cases through the courts would grind to a halt without plea bargains.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT one of the responsibilities given to top state prosecutors and district attorneys?

Accepted Answer

A) Following up on criminal investigations of the police 
B) Deciding which cases to bring to trial 
C) Negotiating with defense attorneys 
D) Acting as the governor's lawyer in the cases that go to trial 
A) Following up on criminal investigations of the police 
B) Deciding which cases to bring to trial 
C) Negotiating with defense attorneys 
D) Acting as the governor's lawyer in the cases that go to trial

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT true regarding courts and their policy-making role in state government?

Accepted Answer

A) If you ask a judge-even a state Supreme Court justice-if the court makes policy,he or she will likely deny it vehemently. 
B) The judicial branch has a lot of policy-making legitimacy in popular American culture because their decisions are backed by precedent and law. 
C) To admit to making policy,a judge would be violating professional norms. 
D) Even if a judge wanted to make policy,their agendas would be affected to a much greater degree by events and outsiders than the policy agendas of legislatures or governors. 
A) If you ask a judge-even a state Supreme Court justice-if the court makes policy,he or she will likely deny it vehemently. 
B) The judicial branch has a lot of policy-making legitimacy in popular American culture because their decisions are backed by precedent and law. 
C) To admit to making policy,a judge would be violating professional norms. 
D) Even if a judge wanted to make policy,their agendas would be affected to a much greater degree by events and outsiders than the policy agendas of legislatures or governors.

Question 18

How have intermediate courts of appeal in the states evolved over time? What is their primary role in the judicial process? How do they differ across the states?

Accepted Answer

Intermediate courts of appeal in the sta

Question 19

Which of the following courts judge questions about the fairness of a trial?

Accepted Answer

A) Trial courts 
B) Intermediate courts of appeal 
C) Supreme courts 
D) District courts 
A) Trial courts 
B) Intermediate courts of appeal 
C) Supreme courts 
D) District courts

Question 20

States have regulated judicial elections much more heavily than they have legislative or gubernatorial races in order to

Accepted Answer

A) avoid appearances of bribery but not other illicit activities. 
B) prevent conflicts of interest developing between judges and campaign donors. 
C) take power away from the judiciary and redistribute it among the other two branches. 
D) control the type of judges that will eventually be elected to the bench. 
A) avoid appearances of bribery but not other illicit activities. 
B) prevent conflicts of interest developing between judges and campaign donors. 
C) take power away from the judiciary and redistribute it among the other two branches. 
D) control the type of judges that will eventually be elected to the bench.

Most trials are known as "bench trials," which means that

Which of the following is NOT true regarding analyses of the effect of judicial selection mechanisms?

The neutral entity that makes an authoritative decision and is comprised of a cross-section of the community is known as the

In Iowa in 2010,three Supreme Court Justices

Which of the following courts tends to be the only one seen fit for television drama series?

Approximately what percentage of cases moves beyond trial courts?

Which state was the first to adopt and utilize the Merit Plan?

What is the role of state supreme courts in affecting public policy? Do you think the courts should impact public policy? Citing some examples,make your case.

Which of the following regarding state court systems is TRUE?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding judges that are elected to the bench?

What are the different methods that states use for selecting judges? Why is there such variance across the states? Which system do you think is the best? Why?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding state court organizational structures?

State courts are a central part of government,not only enforcing the law and settling conflicts,but sometimes

The power to judge whether a statute violates the state's constitution and ability to nullify that law is known as

Which of the following is NOT true regarding plea bargaining?

Which of the following is NOT one of the responsibilities given to top state prosecutors and district attorneys?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding courts and their policy-making role in state government?

How have intermediate courts of appeal in the states evolved over time? What is their primary role in the judicial process? How do they differ across the states?

Which of the following courts judge questions about the fairness of a trial?

States have regulated judicial elections much more heavily than they have legislative or gubernatorial races in order to

Introduction to State and Local Politics

Federalism: State and Local Politics Within a Federal System

Participation,elections,and Representation

State and Local Direct Democracy

Political Parties

Interest Groups

State Legislatures

Governors and the State Bureaucracy

Fiscal Policy

The Structure of Local Governments

Local Land Use and Environmental Politics

Morality Policy

Social Welfare and Health Care Policy

Education Policy

Filters

Exam 9: State Courts and the Criminal Justice System

Most trials are known as "bench trials," which means that

Which of the following is NOT true regarding analyses of the effect of judicial selection mechanisms?

The neutral entity that makes an authoritative decision and is comprised of a cross-section of the community is known as the

In Iowa in 2010,three Supreme Court Justices

Which of the following courts tends to be the only one seen fit for television drama series?

Approximately what percentage of cases moves beyond trial courts?

Which state was the first to adopt and utilize the Merit Plan?

What is the role of state supreme courts in affecting public policy? Do you think the courts should impact public policy? Citing some examples,make your case.

Which of the following regarding state court systems is TRUE?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding judges that are elected to the bench?

What are the different methods that states use for selecting judges? Why is there such variance across the states? Which system do you think is the best? Why?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding state court organizational structures?

State courts are a central part of government,not only enforcing the law and settling conflicts,but sometimes

The power to judge whether a statute violates the state's constitution and ability to nullify that law is known as

Which of the following is NOT true regarding plea bargaining?

Which of the following is NOT one of the responsibilities given to top state prosecutors and district attorneys?

Which of the following is NOT true regarding courts and their policy-making role in state government?

How have intermediate courts of appeal in the states evolved over time? What is their primary role in the judicial process? How do they differ across the states?

Which of the following courts judge questions about the fairness of a trial?

States have regulated judicial elections much more heavily than they have legislative or gubernatorial races in order to

Introduction to State and Local Politics

Federalism: State and Local Politics Within a Federal System

Participation,elections,and Representation

State and Local Direct Democracy

Political Parties

Interest Groups

State Legislatures

Governors and the State Bureaucracy

Fiscal Policy

The Structure of Local Governments

Local Land Use and Environmental Politics

Morality Policy

Social Welfare and Health Care Policy

Education Policy

Filters