PS 307 Chapter 1 terms

corpus delicti

the Latin name for "body of the crime.

administrative crimes

violations of federal and state agency rules.

affirmative defenses

defenses in which the defendant bears the burden of production.

analysis of criminal liability

Conduct that unjustifiably and inexcusably inflicts or threatens substantial harm to individual or public interests.

bench trial

trials without juries, in which judges find the facts.

burden of persuasion

the responsibility to convince the fact finder of the truth of the defense.

burden of production

the responsibility to introduce initial evidence to support a defense.

burden of proof

the affirmative duty to prove a point in dispute; the responsibility to produce the evidence to persuade the fact finder.

case citation

source reference to a case or other legal authority.

code states

states that have abolished the common law.

codified (criminal law)

written definitions of crimes and punishments enacted by legislatures and published.

common law crimes

crimes originating in the English common law.

concurring opinion

statements in which justices agree with the decision but not the reasoning of a court's opinion.

crimes of moral turpitude

conduct that is contrary to justice, honesty, or morality.

criminal liability

actus reus, mens rea, concurrence, causation, and harmful result, which are the basis for the elements of crime the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

criminal punishment

punishments prescribed by legislatures.

determinate (fixed) sentences

sentences that fit the punishment to the crime.

determinism (and criminal punishment)

actions beyond the control of individual free will.

deterrence theory

the theory that excluding evidence obtained in violation of the Constitution prevents illegal law enforcement.

discretionary decision making

judicial criminal lawmaking power that leaves judges lots of leeway for making decisions based on their professional training and experience

federal system

structure of U.S. government divided into federal and state governments.

felonies

serious crimes that are generally punishable by one year or more in prison.

fixed (determinate) sentences

sentences that fit the punishment to the crime.

general deterrence (also called general prevention)

aims by threat of punishment to deter criminal behavior in the general population.

general part of the criminal law

principles that apply to all crimes.

guilty verdict

decision of the fact finder that the prosecution has proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

hedonism (and criminal punishment)

the theory that the validity of a law should be measured by the extent to which it promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

incapacitation

punishment by imprisonment, mutilation, and even death.

indeterminate sentencing laws

legislatures set only the outer limits of possible penalties, and judges and corrections professionals decide actual sentence lengths.

judgment (in criminal cases)

court's decision in a case.

medical model of crime

the medical model is based on the idea that crime is a disease that experts can diagnose, treat, and cure ("medical model" of criminal law).

misdemeanors

minor crimes for which the penalty is usually less than one year in jail or a fine.

Model Penal Code

the code developed by the American Law Institute to guide reform in criminal law.

not guilty verdict

fact finder decides the prosecution has not proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

opinion (in criminal cases)

part of an appellate court case that explains the court's reasons for its decision.

plaintiffs

those who sue for wrongs in tort cases.

plurality opinion (in criminal cases)

a statement in which the greatest number, but not a majority, of the justices favor a court's decision.

precedent

prior court decision that guides judges in deciding future cases.

preponderance of the evidence

more than 50 percent of the evidence proves justification or excuse.

presumption of innocence

the government always has the burden to justify its use of power even against people who turn out to be guilty.

prevention

punishing offenders to prevent crimes in the future.

principle of utility

permitting only the minimum amount of pain necessary to prevent the crime as punishment.

principles of criminal liability

the principles of actus reus, mens rea, concurrence, causation, and harmful result, which are the basis for the elements of crime the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

proof beyond a reasonable doubt

proof that overcomes the doubt that prevents one from being firmly convinced of a defendant's guilt, or the belief that there is a real possibility that a defendant is not guilty.

punishment

intentional infliction of pain on a person convicted of a crime.

punitive damages

damages that make an example of defendants and punish them for their behavior.

rates of imprisonment

number of prisoners per 100,000 people in the population.

rationalism (and criminal punishment)

proportionality of the punishment to the crime.

reasonable doubt

the doubt that prevents one from being firmly convinced of a defendant's guilt, or the belief that there is a real possibility that a defendant is not guilty.

reasonable doubt standard

due process requires both federal and state prosecutors to prove every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

rehabilitation

prevention of crime by treatment.

retribution

punishment based on just deserts.

rule of lenity

when judges apply a criminal statute to the defendant in the case before them, they have to stick "clearly within the letter of the statute," resolving all ambiguities in favor of defendants and against the application of the statute.

special deterrence

the threat of punishment aimed at individual offenders in the hope of deterring future criminal conduct.

special part of the criminal law

defines the elements of specific crimes.

torts

private wrongs for which you can sue the party who wronged you and recover money.