Chapter 8: Courtroom and Criminal Trial

Question 1

the examination in court of the issues of fact and relevant law in a case for the purpose of convicting or acquitting the defendant

Answer 1

Trial

Question 2

the professional courtroom actors, including judges, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, public defenders

Answer 2

Courtroom Work Group

Question 3

an elected or appointed public official who presides over a court of law

Answer 3

The Judge

Question 4

may serve as the quasi-legal advisor to local police, they also have the burden of proving guilty

Answer 4

Prosecutor

Question 5

the decision-making power of prosecutors, based on the wide range of choices available to them

Answer 5

Prosecutorial Discretion

Question 6

any information having a tendency to clear a person of guilt or blame

Answer 6

Exculpatory Evidence

Question 7

a licensed trial lawyer, hired or appointed to conduct the legal defense of a person accused of a crime and to represent him or her before a court of law, these can include:
- private attorneys
- court-appointed counsel
- public defenders

Answer 7

Defense Counsel

Question 8

court officers whose duties are to keep order in the courtroom, secure witnesses, and maintain physical custody of the jury, in federal court they are deputy U.S. Marshals

Answer 8

Bailiffs

Question 9

the right to challenge a potential juror without disclosing the reason for the challenge

Answer 9

Peremptory Challenges

Question 10

a preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel

Answer 10

Voir Dire

Question 11

The use of correlational techniques from
the social sciences to gauge the
likelihood that potential jurors will vote
for conviction or for acquittal

Answer 11

Scientific Jury Selection

Question 12

a jury that is isolated from the public during the course of a trial and throughout the deliberation process

Answer 12

Sequestered Jury

Question 13

proves a fact without requiring an interference

Answer 13

Direct Evidence

Question 14

indirect and requires an inference

Answer 14

Circumstantial Evidence

Question 15

consists of physical material or traces of physical activity

Answer 15

Real Evidence

Question 16

the oral evidence offered by sworn witnesses on the stand during the trial

Answer 16

Testimony

Question 17

lying while under oath

Answer 17

Perjury

Question 18

An eyewitness, character witness, or
other person called on to testify who is
not considered an expert

Answer 18

Lay Witness

Question 19

A written order issued by a judicial
officer or grand jury requiring an
individual to appear in court and give
testimony

Answer 19

Subpoena

Question 20

A member of the trial or grand jury who
has been selected for jury duty and is
required to serve as an arbiter of the
facts in a court of law

Answer 20

Juror

Question 21

The determination of the defendant’s
guilt or innocence

Answer 21

Nature and Purpose

Question 22

The court rules that govern the
admissibility of evidence

Answer 22

Rules of Evidence

Question 23

The two-sided structure under which
American criminal trial courts operate
that pits the prosecution against the
defense

Answer 23

Adversarial System

Question 24

Assess the impact of a defense
attorney’s arguments

Answer 24

Shadow Jury

Question 25

Places the burden on the prosecution to show that the jury's decision would most likely have been the same even in the absence of the inappropriate evidence

Answer 25

Harmless Error Rule

Question 26

Something that is not based on personal knowledge of a witness

Answer 26

Hearsay

Question 27

Longstanding precedent that hearsay cannot be used in American courtrooms

Answer 27

Hearsay Rule

Question 28

The decision of the jury in a jury trial or of a judicial officer in a nonjury trial

Answer 28

Verdict