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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CHAPTER TWO
28
Other
Not Applicable
02/07/2005

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Term
NORM
Definition
any standard or fule regarding what human beings should or should not think, say, or do under given circumstances
Term
LEGAL DEFINITION OF CRIME
Definition
an intentional violation of the criminal law or penal code, committed without defense or excuse and penalized by the state
Term
OVERCRIMINALIZTION
Definition
the prohibition by the criminal law of some behaviors that arguably should not be prohibited
Term
NONENFORCEMENT
Definition
the failure to routinely enforce prohibitions against certain behaviors
Term
UNDERCRIMINALIZATION
Definition
the failure to prohibit some behaviors that arguably should be prohibited
Term
HARM
Definition
the external consequence required to make an action a crime
Term
LEGALITY
Definition
the requirement (1) that a harm must be legally forbidden for the behavior to be a crime and (2) that the law must not be retroactive
Term
EX POST FACTO LAW
Definition
a law that (1) declares criminal an act that was not illegal when it was committed, (2) increases the punishment for a crime after it is committed, or (3) alters the rules of evidence in a particular case after the crime is committed
Term
ACTUS REUS
Definition
criminal conduct-specifically intentional or criminally negligent (reckless) action or inaciton that causes harm
Term
ACTUS REUS
Definition
criminal conduct-specifically intentional or criminally negligent (reckless) action or inaciton that causes harm
Term
MENS REA
Definition
crimianl intent; a guilty state of mind
Term
NEGLIGENCE
Definition
the failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent harm
Term
DURESS
Definition
force or coercion as an excuse for committing a crime
Term
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Definition
a special category of offense created for young offenders, usually those between 7 and 18 years of age
Term
INSANITY
Definition
mental or psychological impairment or retardation as a defense against a criminal charge
Term
ENTRAPMENT
Definition
a legal defense against criminal responsibility when a person, who was not already predisposed to it, is induced into committing a crime by a law enforcement officer or by his or her agent
Term
NECESSITY DEFENSE
Definition
a legal defense against criminal responsiblity used when a crime has been committed to prevent a more serious crime
Term
MALA IN SE
Definition
wrong in themselves. A description applied to crimes that are characterized by universality and timlessness
Term
MALA PROHIBITA
Definition
offenses that are illegal because laws define them as such. They lack universality and timelessness
Term
DARK FIGURE OF CRIME
Definition
the number of crimes not officially recorded by the police
Term
CRIME INDEX
Definition
an estimate of crimes committed
Term
OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE POLICE
Definition
a crime index, reported in the FBI's uniform crime reports, composed of crimes that are both reported to and recorded by the police
Term
CRIME RATE
Definition
a measure of the incidnece of crime expressed as the number of crimes per unit of population or some other base
Term
UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS
Definition
a collection of crime statisitcs and other law enforcement information gathered under a voluntary national program administered by the FBI
Term
EIGHT INDEX CRIME
Definition
the Part I offenses in the FBI's uniform crime reports:
1. murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
2. forcible rape
3. robbery
4. aggravated assault
5. burglary
6. larceny-theft
7. motor vehicle theft
8. arson (added in 1979)
Term
STATUS OFFENSE
Definition
an act that is illegal for a juvenile but owuld not be a crime if committed by an adult
Term
CRIME INDEX OFFENSES CLEARED
Definition
the number of offenses for which at least one person has been arrested, charge with the commission of the offense, and turned over to the court for prosecution
Term
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS
Definition
a source of crime statistics based on interviews in which respondents are asked whther they have been victims of any of the FBI's index offenses (except murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, and arson) or other crimes during the past six months. If they have, they are asked to provide information about the experience
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