Exam 11: Offenses Against Government Operations

Under Texas law,if a bribe is offered to a public official,no offense occurs until the bribe is actually paid.

Mac,the mayor of a small Texas town,is eating lunch at a local diner.Josh,a friend of his,joins him at the table for a visit.When the two are ready to leave,Josh says,"Let me pay for your lunch." Mac thanks him.Under these facts,both Mac and Josh have violated the bribery statute.

To commit the offense of tampering with evidence,the individual who alters or destroys an item must ________ that an investigation is being conducted and the item is potential evidence.

Late one evening Charles is attempting to sell cocaine on a city street corner.A customer approaches and asks the price.Charles produces a small envelope of the drug and names a price.At this point the customer says,"Police officer.You are under arrest." Charles immediately sticks the envelope in his mouth and swallows it.The officer takes him into custody and transports Charles to the hospital where his stomach is pumped and the envelope of cocaine is recovered.In addition to the drug charge,Charles has also committed:

To commit the offense of altering,destroying,or concealing evidence,the individual need not be successful in their efforts.The individual need only have the ________ to do so.

Ralph shoplifts a wristwatch at the mall.A private security officer sees the incident and detains Ralph while the police are summoned.While awaiting the arrival of a police officer,Ralph darts away from the security officer and flees the mall.Ralph has committed the offense of escape.

Barry owns a restaurant.Sam,the city fire marshal,appears at the restaurant and wants to inspect it for compliance with the city's fire code.Because he knows the restaurant does not meet the city code requirements,Barry refuses to allow Sam into the restaurant.Barry has committed:

A state trooper stops Phillip for speeding.Phillip,who works bussing tables in a restaurant,tells the trooper untruthfully that he is a college criminal justice major.The trooper says,"In that case,I won't give you a ticket.I wouldn't want to ruin your future as a police officer.Go on and be careful." Phillip has committed:

For a false statement in court to constitute perjury,the witness must know that the statement is false and the statement must be ________.

To constitute the offense of aggravated perjury,the false statement made by a courtroom witness must be one that could affect the outcome of the proceedings.

Cameron observes a campus police officer writing a parking ticket for a car that is illegally parked.Even though it is not Cameron's car,he believes the officer should not issue the ticket because the no parking sign is hidden by a bush.Anyone parking their car would be highly unlikely to see the sign.Cameron says to the officer,"That's an unfair bunch of crap.No way this guy could have seen the no parking sign.The university is just a money-grubbing organization that does not give a damn about students." The officer is not amused or enlightened by Cameron's comments and tells him to back off.Cameron says,"Back off yourself." Cameron has committed:

Contributions to political campaigns are generally not considered to violate the bribery statute so long as the public servant receiving the contribution ________ it as required by law.

A police officer stops Cedric for speeding in his new sports car.The officer smells the odor of alcohol on Cedric's breath.The officer asks Cedric,"Have you been drinking?" Cedric replies,"No sir," even though he drank a beer about two hours earlier.Nonetheless,the officer has Cedric take a field sobriety test.Cedric passes the test.The officer concludes that Cedric is not intoxicated,issues Cedric a citation for speeding,and sends him on his way.Which of the following statements is correct about this situation?

Under Texas law,which of the following commits the offense of bribery?

To commit the offense of bribery,the conduct must involve some benefit to the other party.For the purposes of the statute,a "benefit" is reasonably regarded as ________ gain or advantage.

A motorist who argues with a police officer over whether or not the motorist came to a full stop at a stop sign may lawfully be charged with interference with public duties if the motorist is knowingly making a false statement.

The crime of escape is based on an unlawful ________ from custody.

Robert is a drug dealer.One evening he hears the front door of his trailer house swing open and someone shout,"Police! Search warrant." Robert grabs several bags of cocaine from the top of a table.He rushes to the bathroom and tosses the bags in the toilet bowl.He flushes the toilet just as a police officer enters the bathroom.Unfortunately for Robert,the police had already disconnected the sewer line from the trailer and the bags of cocaine spill out onto the ground.In addition to drug charges,Robert has committed:

Roland is a student at a university in Texas.He is trying to maintain a 4.0 grade point average in order to help his application for medical school.Near the end of the semester he realizes that he is in danger of making a B in his English literature class.He approaches his instructor Mrs.Brody and says,"I will give you $100 if you will give me an A in this class." Mrs.Brody replies,"Let's see how you do on the final exam." Which of the following statements is correct about this situation?

A person who makes a false statement to a peace officer commits an offense if the statement is made with ________ to deceive.