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Quiz about Criminal Justice in the US
Quiz about Criminal Justice in the US

Criminal Justice in the U.S. Trivia Quiz


I am a Criminal Justice major and I think that this is a very interesting field of study. I hope you think so as well. This is my first quiz attempt so let me know how you like it.

A multiple-choice quiz by mr_x. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
mr_x
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
203,671
Updated
Feb 04 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
927
Last 3 plays: Adam1996 (3/10), Emlah (3/10), BRusty85 (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Who is considered to be the "father" of modern policing? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which of the following amendments in the Bill of Rights is a police officer LEAST likely to be concerned with while performing his normal duties? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. A police officer must always read a suspect their rights when placing them under arrest.


Question 4 of 10
4. Which branch of the US government do police officers fall under? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What do police need to legally arrest a suspect? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What U.S. department did the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) originally fall under? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What is the fate of the majority of sentenced offenders in the US? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. You committed a misdemeanor crime last night (shame on you). Can a police officer legally arrest you the next morning for that crime? Note: For the purpose of this question I am asking about the general rule and not about any of the exceptions to that rule.


Question 9 of 10
9. After committing your last misdemeanor, you steal something from a local department store (wow, you are bad today). The store security guard arrests you but does he have to read you your rights before questioning you?


Question 10 of 10
10. After your crime spree, you find yourself behind bars. No privacy, no freedom, and worst of all, no quizzes! In order to get your freedom back, you decide to post bail. Which of the following will the judge probably *not* accept as bail? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 28 2024 : Adam1996: 3/10
Mar 07 2024 : Emlah: 3/10
Feb 21 2024 : BRusty85: 10/10
Feb 20 2024 : Dreessen: 8/10
Jan 31 2024 : Slamfam1992: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who is considered to be the "father" of modern policing?

Answer: Robert Peel

King Hammurabi established the code of Hammurabi in 1750 BC. This code is one of the earliest examples of written law but doesn't involve policing. Alan Pinkerton is credited with creating the first private security force in the US. John Fielding did start the idea of a unified, mobile police force but Robert Peel developed the police structure, which all modern US departments are modeled after. Peel (1788-1850) was a British politician and was Prime Minister briefly in 1834 and then from 1841-46.

In 1820s, as Home Secretary, he persuaded the House of Commons to investigate the existing police force. When the committee told Peel that the existing police force could not be fixed, he established the Metropolitan Police Force in 1829. This may be the reason why some police officers are called "Peelers" or "Bobbies".
2. Which of the following amendments in the Bill of Rights is a police officer LEAST likely to be concerned with while performing his normal duties?

Answer: Eighth Amendment

The fourth amendment deals with a person's expectation of privacy and is probably the one an officer would be most concerned with. The fifth deals with due process and self incrimination, which is why officers need to read a suspect their rights before questioning. The eighth deals with court punishments.
3. A police officer must always read a suspect their rights when placing them under arrest.

Answer: False

If you ever watch any kind of police show such as "Cops" or "Law and Order" you have probably heard somebody being read their rights. Most people can probably remember the first part about "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you ..." However, the case requiring a suspect to be informed of their rights, Miranda v Arizona, only requires this if the suspect is in custody and the officers want to interrogate him. If the officers don't want to ask questions, the rights don't need to be read.
4. Which branch of the US government do police officers fall under?

Answer: Executive branch

The legislative branch makes the laws, the judicial branch interprets the laws, and the executive branch enforces the laws. Although you may be tempted to say judicial, that branch only deals with the courts.
5. What do police need to legally arrest a suspect?

Answer: Probable cause

Police need reasonable suspicion to detain a suspect but to arrest somebody, they are held to a higher standard of proof. The other two deal with the proof needed to convict somebody in court.
6. What U.S. department did the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) originally fall under?

Answer: Department of the Treasury

Believe it or not the ATF was originally part of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) but is now under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.
7. What is the fate of the majority of sentenced offenders in the US?

Answer: They are put on probation

Probation means that an offender must obey certain rules and restrictions but still gets to live in his own house and run his normal life. Courts put offenders on probation because it is much less expensive than incarcerating them. If a person violates their probation by not reporting to the probation officer, for example, they could face time behind bars but for the purpose of this quiz, the majority of offenders are initially put on probation.
8. You committed a misdemeanor crime last night (shame on you). Can a police officer legally arrest you the next morning for that crime? Note: For the purpose of this question I am asking about the general rule and not about any of the exceptions to that rule.

Answer: No

I'm not saying that you should go out and commit a misdemeanor crime but an officer can only make an arrest on misdemeanors if the crime is committed in the officer's presence, with a few exceptions. However, you can still go to jail if somebody who saw you commit the crime makes a citizen's arrest or if they give a statement and a judge issues an arrest warrant.
9. After committing your last misdemeanor, you steal something from a local department store (wow, you are bad today). The store security guard arrests you but does he have to read you your rights before questioning you?

Answer: No

The rights granted to you by the constitution and the bill of rights only apply to the government. A store security guard is not acting under the authority of the government so he is not bound by the same rules as a police officer. He does not need to read your rights before questioning nor does he need probable cause to search you.

However, if the guard takes extreme measures to gain evidence like torturing you, the evidence will probably be thrown out at court and the guard can be held liable.
10. After your crime spree, you find yourself behind bars. No privacy, no freedom, and worst of all, no quizzes! In order to get your freedom back, you decide to post bail. Which of the following will the judge probably *not* accept as bail?

Answer: The title to your old car

The reason is that unless your old car is a 1920s Bentley, it doesn't hold enough value for the court to accept it. However some judges may have you released on your own recognizance. This means that you give your word you will return to face the charges.

This is usually reserved for minor crimes and criminals with little or no record. The court would probably pick this option before taking your beat up old car.
Source: Author mr_x

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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