Criminal Justice in Texas Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the criminal justice system as it functions within the state of Texas. Students will examine the structure, roles, and processes of law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional institutions specific to Texas, highlighting unique state laws, procedures, and policies. The course covers the historical evolution of criminal justice in Texas, current issues and challenges, and the impact of cultural, social, and political factors on crime and justice. Key topics include policing practices, court proceedings, correctional strategies, juvenile justice, and reform initiatives, all set in the context of Texass diverse populations and legal landscape.
Recommended Textbook
Texas Criminal Law Principles and Practices 2nd Edition by Jerry L. Dowling
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16 Chapters
1169 Verified Questions
1169 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Foundations of Criminal Law
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49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Texas was an early participant in the 19?? century ___________ movement to clearly spell out in written form the definition of criminal offenses.
Answer: codification
Q2) Select one of the statutory purposes of the Texas Penal Code.Discuss how well this purpose is achieved in day-to-day society.
Answer: Any of the statutory purposes listed in Sec.1.02 of the Texas Penal Code may be chosen.Student answers should relate that purpose to their own views of the day-to-day justice system.For example,if the specific deterrence objective is chosen,the student might point out recidivism rates as an example of the objective's effectiveness.Other answers should similarly relate the statutory material to their knowledge and perceptions of the justice system.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a stated purpose of the Texas Penal Code? Select the exception.
A)insuring public safety by the rehabilitation of criminal offenders
B)insuring public safety by incarcerating violent offenders
C)insuring public safety by deterring criminal conduct
D)safeguarding conduct that is without guilt from condemnation as criminal
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: Elements of a Crime
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66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which element of an offense - the culpable mental state,the conduct,or the resultant harm - is most important to you in determining an offender's penalty? Does your answer differ if the offense is a crime against the person? A crime against property?
Answer: Answers will vary.
-Student answers should note that intentional behavior is regarded as more morally wrong than criminally negligent conduct.
-Students may note that Anglo-American law has long focused on a sliding scale of mens rea and resulting harm to determine offense severity.
-Some students may argue that the intentions of the offender are more important than the resultant harm while others will suggest that the harmful outcome should be the focus.
-The resultant harm is likely to be the primary concern in crimes against person.
-The culpable mental state is likely the primary concern in crimes against property.
Q2) To determine the cause-in-fact in a criminal prosecution,Texas uses the __(two words)___ test.
Answer: but for
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Chapter 3: The Criminal Law in Daily Practice
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lesser included offenses are crimes that contain some but not all of the elements of a more serious crime.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) A person may not be prosecuted for the same offense after acquittal due to the Constitutional prohibition against \(\underline{ (\text { two words })}\).
Answer: double jeopardy
Q3) No prosecution may lawfully proceed if the statute of ___________ for the particular offense has expired.
Answer: limitations
Q4) Either an indictment or an information may be used as the formal charging instrument in a misdemeanor prosecution.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Parties to Offenses
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37 Verified Questions
37 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Carl asks Sam if he can borrow Sam's shotgun to go hunting.Sam agrees to loan the weapon to Carl.The next day,however,instead of going hunting,Carl uses the shotgun to commit an armed robbery of a liquor store.As to Sam's criminal liability it is correct to say that:
A)Sam has no criminal responsibility because he did not intentionally assist Carl in committing the robbery.
B)Sam is criminally responsible for the robbery because he knowingly provided Carl the shotgun.
C)Sam is criminally responsible for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon but not robbery because he could have foreseen Carl committing an aggravated assault but not a robbery.
D)Sam is criminally responsible for Carl's robbery because everyone knows that a shotgun is a deadly weapon and could be used to rob another person.
Q2) Under Texas law,post-crime assistance to the perpetrator of a crime is treated as a standalone offense,not under the law of parties.
A)True
B)False
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Criminal Homicide
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96 Verified Questions
96 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ramona is driving down the street in her car.She is also sending a text via her smartphone.Distracted by the texting,she fails to notice a stop sign at the intersection.She proceeds into the intersection without slowing.She strikes a pedestrian who has stepped off the curb to cross the street.Even though she is only traveling about 20 miles per hour,the collision knocks the pedestrian in the air.Upon landing on the street,the blow to the head kills the pedestrian.Under Texas law,the most serious offense,if any,Ramona has committed is:
A)no offense as the death of pedestrian was an accident.
B)criminally negligent homicide.
C)vehicular homicide.
D)involuntary manslaughter.
Q2) If use of a medical life support system prevents a determination of whether an individual's heart is beating naturally,the individual is considered legally dead if he or she has irreversible cessation of spontaneous ________ function.
Q3) The crime of murder under the Texas Penal Code is committed only if the accused intentionally causes the death of another individual.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Assault and Sexual Assault
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103 Verified Questions
103 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Elizabeth and Crissy get into an argument over a boy,Jacob.Elizabeth shoves Crissy into the wall and tells her to stay away from Jacob.Elizabeth has committed an assault.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Both words and silent gestures can be considered "threats" within the term's meaning in the law of assault.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Peter and Paul get into an argument.The argument escalates.Eventually,Peter says to Paul."You are nothing but a stupid nerd.I dare you to hit me.Go ahead; hit me!" At that moment,Paul punches Peter in the nose.Peter's nose begins to bleed profusely."I think you broke my nose," Peter says.Which of the following statements is correct regarding this situation?
A)Paul has committed assault with bodily injury.
B)Paul has engaged in deadly conduct.
C)Paul has committed no assault because Peter consented to being struck.
D)Peter made a terroristic threat so Paul had the right to defend himself.
Q4) Express or apparent ________ is a defense to the charge of sexual assault.
Q5) __________ is always a defense to a charge of misdemeanor assault.
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Chapter 7: Kidnapping and Related Offenses
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44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under Texas law,an abduction that occurs incidental to another offense,such as a robbery,is viewed as merged within the underlying crime and is not subject to separate prosecution.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Texas law encourages kidnappers to take measures to ensure their victims' survival by lowering the penalty for aggravated kidnapping if the victim is voluntarily released in a safe place.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A child under age ___ is legally incapable of consenting to being restrained for purposes of the unlawful restraint statute.
Q4) The Texas statute that sanctions improper taking or restraint of children contrary to a court order is titled ___________ with child custody.
Q5) In specific fact situations where an individual is assisting a fugitive in escaping detection by the police,the hindering apprehension of prosecution statute (Sec.38.05)may overlap the ______(two words)statute.
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9
Chapter 8: Property Destruction Offenses
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59 Verified Questions
59 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Texas anti-graffiti law is content neutral.This means that the nature or meaning of the markings are irrelevant to whether nor not a violation of the statute has occurred.The content-neutral approach is an effort to avoid allegations that the statute violates the:
A)First Amendment.
B)Fourth Amendment.
C)Fifth Amendment.
D)14?? Amendment.
Q2) An arson occurs if the owner of a vehicle uses fire to destroy the vehicle and the vehicle is subject to a \(\underline{ (\text { two words })}\).
Q3) An individual may lawfully use fire to destroy his own building,habitation,and vehicles if he first obtains a ___________ from local authorities.
Q4) Markings that constitute political,social,or religious expression are protected by the First Amendment and may not be prosecuted as a criminal offense.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Create a decision tree to assist in sorting acts of arson from acts of criminal mischief.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Theft,Fraud,and Related Offenses
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83 Verified Questions
83 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The worth of stolen property,and thereby the penalty level,is determined by the fair market value of the item at the _________ and _________ of the theft.
Q2) Holly has been out partying most of the evening.She has been drinking heavily.She recognizes that she should not attempt to drive home.Instead,she calls a taxicab.When the taxi arrives Holly tells the driver an address that is actually two blocks from her apartment.Upon arrival at the address,the taxi driver tells Holly,"That will be $12.50." Instead of paying the driver,Holly jumps from the cab and runs away.Holly has committed:
A)no offense as her failure to pay for the taxicab ride is simply a civil breach of contract.
B)theft of service.
C)unauthorized use of a vehicle.
D)consumer fraud.
Q3) Acts of swindling,shoplifting,extortion,and receiving stolen property are prosecuted as violations of the Texas __________ statute.
Q4) The actus reus of the unauthorized use of a vehicle statute is whether the accused ________ the vehicle.
Q5) Under Texas law,theft of a firearm valued at $350 is a ________ level offense.
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Chapter 10: Robbery,Burglary,and Criminal Trespass
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86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The terms "enter" and "entry" are defined somewhat differently in the offenses of burglary,burglary of vehicles,burglary of a coin-operated machine,and criminal trespass.In which of the aforementioned offenses does an entry include every kind of entry except one with the effective consent of the owner?
A)burglary
B)burglary of vehicles
C)burglary of a coin-operated machine
D)criminal trespass
Q2) If Jack threatens to beat up Jill unless she gives him $100,Jack has committed the felony offense of __________.
Q3) Explain the meaning of the term "enter" as it applies to the law of burglary of a building or habitation.
Q4) For the purposes of the criminal trespass statute,the word "entry" means an intrusion of the \(\underline{ (\text { two words })}\).
Q5) To commit a burglary of a vehicle,an individual must enter the vehicle.According to the statute,"enter" means any part of the body or any _______ object connected with the body.
Q6) In Texas,a carjacking is treated under the law as a form of ________.
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Chapter 11: Offenses Against Government Operations
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91 Verified Questions
91 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/7148
Sample Questions
Q1) 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)no offense.
B)interference with public duties.
C)tampering with evidence.
D)obstruction or retaliation.
Q2) Jim's car is parked in front of his home.The house is located on a dead-end street.The house belonging to Jim's neighbor catches fire.When the fire truck arrives it cannot get to the burning house because Jim's car is taking up most of the narrow street.The fire chief asks Jim to move his car.Jim says,"Why should I? I am lawfully parked and my neighbor's house is a rat's nest.Let it burn." Jim is committing no offense by refusing the fire chief's request.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The offense of interference with public duties is NOT committed if the nature of the interference consists only of ________.
Q4) It is no defense to a charge of resisting arrest that the arrest was ________.
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Chapter 12: Public Disorder,Indecency,Health,and Safety Offenses
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under Texas law,before political demonstrators may be arrested for disorderly conduct or obstructing a passageway,the police must first afford the protestors the opportunity to ________,________,or otherwise remedy the situation.
Q2) Police officers often respond to loud party calls or other disturbances regarding noise.For such activity to constitute a criminal offense,it must be established that the sound constitutes a(n)________ noise.
Q3) Under Texas law,the penalty for possession of a controlled substance is the same penalty as delivery of a controlled substance.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following is classified as a prohibited weapon under the Texas Penal Code?
A)a firearm silencer
B)a rifle with a magazine containing more than eight rounds
C)a club with a length over 12 inches
D)a dagger
Q5) Frank does NOT violate the unlawful carrying of weapons statute if he has a handgun in his vehicle or ________.
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Intoxication Offenses
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58 Verified Questions
58 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater is known as intoxication ________.
Q2) To commit public intoxication under Texas law,an individual must be both drunk and disorderly.
A)True
B)False
Q3) To obtain a conviction for DUI instead of DWI,the prosecution must establish that the accused's blood alcohol concentration was at least 0.15.
A)True
B)False
Q4) With the individual's consent,an intoxicated person may lawfully be placed in a substance abuse treatment facility instead of being arrested and placed in jail.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In an intoxication assault case,the culpable mental state of the offender is ________.
Q6) A key element of the offense of driving while intoxicated is that the accused was ________ a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated.
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Preparatory Offenses and Organized Criminal Activity
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under Texas law,the term "criminal combination" refers to two or more urban gangs conspiring to commit a felony.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is a defense to a criminal conspiracy charge?
A)legal impossibility
B)renunciation
C)acquittal of all other members of the conspiracy
D)All of the above are defenses depending of the factual circumstances of the case.
Q3) Briefly outline the elements of criminal attempt,criminal conspiracy,and criminal solicitation under Texas law.Which of these offenses may be successfully prosecuted even if the offender(s)do not successfully complete their intended crime? Which of these offense may be successfully prosecuted even if the offender(s)successfully complete their intended crime?
Q4) Jill contacts Jack and offers him $5,000 to kill her husband Reginald.Jack refuses Jill's efforts to enlist him in the murder plot.However,by making the offer to Jack,Jill has committed the offense of criminal ________.
Q5) ________ impossibility is a defense to a charge of criminal attempt.
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Chapter 15: General Defenses and Justification
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113 Verified Questions
113 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A courtroom defense strategy where the accused admits to the conduct charged but seeks conviction of a lesser charge is known as ________.
Q2) Will and Frank get into an argument.As the argument escalates,Frank grabs Will around the neck and starts choking him.Will attempts to strike Frank with his fist but the blow misses.Frank releases his chokehold,draws a knife,and takes a swipe at Will.Frank's blade also misses Will.Will responds by kicking Frank in the ribs.Of the two combatants,only ________ has used deadly force.
Q3) Mario's young son steps on a piece of glass and slices his foot.He is bleeding profusely.Concerned that the son might bleed to death,Mario opts not to call an ambulance but to drive his son to the hospital.During the trip,Mario greatly exceeds the speed limit and runs through various red lights and stop signs.Upon arrival at the emergency room,the doctor inspects the son's wound and says,"Glad you got here quickly.Another couple of minutes and he would have been a goner." When Mario goes to the hospital waiting room,a police officer spies him and issues him a citation for the various traffic violations.Mario should be able to avoid conviction for the traffic violations by using the necessity defense.
A)True
B)False
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17
Chapter 16: Federal Criminal Law
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Crimes against property,such as burglary and theft,are normally not considered to be acts of terrorism even if committed by members of a terrorist organization.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following criminal offenses is specifically mentioned in the U.S.Constitution?
A)murder
B)larceny
C)rape
D)crimes on the high seas
Q3) In order to successfully prosecute a RICO Act violation,the federal prosecutor must establish as an element of the offense that the pattern of racketeering affected interstate commerce.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Does the Assimilative Crimes Act give fair notice of the conduct prohibited as is required by the due process clause of the Constitution?
Q5) List three of the most common categories of federal criminal charges.
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