The Criminal Trial MCQs

The Criminal Trial MCQs

Welcome to MCQss.com! This page features MCQs (multiple-choice questions) that focus on the criminal trial process. By answering these questions, you can test your knowledge and gain insights into the stages, procedures, and key elements involved in a criminal trial.

The criminal trial is a complex legal process that ensures the fair and impartial adjudication of criminal offenses. Our MCQs cover various aspects related to the trial, including the roles of the prosecution, defense, judge, and jury.

The trial process typically consists of several stages, including pretrial procedures, jury selection, opening statements, presentation of evidence, examination of witnesses, closing arguments, and the verdict. Our MCQs explore each stage and the specific procedures involved.

Engaging with our MCQs on the criminal trial allows you to deepen your understanding of the stages, procedures, and key elements involved. These questions cover topics such as opening statements, presentation of evidence, witness examination, and the role of the jury. By exploring these MCQs, you will enhance your knowledge of the criminal trial process.

Whether you are studying law, preparing for a trial, or simply interested in the criminal justice system, these MCQs provide a valuable resource to test and expand your knowledge. Enhance your understanding of the criminal trial by exploring our MCQs on MCQss.com.

1: Judging from the Oregon study cited in the text, most juries deliberate for less than 1 day before reaching a decision.

A.   True

B.   False

2: At the beginning of a trial, attorneys for both the prosecution and defense make opening statements.

A.   True

B.   False

3: Expert witnesses may express their opinions about things that are within the area of their expertise.

A.   True

B.   False

4: Husbands and wives cannot be forced to testify against each other.

A.   True

B.   False

5: All questions regarding the admissibility of evidence are handled during pretrial motions.

A.   True

B.   False

6: Closing arguments are considered evidence, even though opening arguments are not.

A.   True

B.   False

7: The defendant in a criminal case has a right to cross-examine witnesses against him or her.

A.   True

B.   False

8: During deliberation, the jury can ask questions of the judge.

A.   True

B.   False

9: All 50 states require a unanimous verdict to convict a defendant.

A.   True

B.   False

10: Race, gender, and socioeconomic status have all been identified as predictors of a hung jury.

A.   True

B.   False

11: Which type of evidence consists of fingerprints, DNA, stolen property, documents, and other tangible items?

A.   Real evidence

B.   Testimonial evidence

C.   Direct evidence

D.   Indirect evidence

12: Which type of evidence is also known as circumstantial evidence?

A.   Real evidence

B.   Testimonial evidence

C.   Direct evidence

D.   Indirect evidence

13: Who first introduces evidence in a criminal trial?

A.   Defense attorney

B.   Prosecuting attorney

C.   Attorney general

D.   Judge

14: Which Amendment includes the right to compel witnesses to come to court and testify in a case?

A.   First

B.   Fourth

C.   Fifth

D.   Sixth

15: When are decisions regarding jury instructions generally made?

A.   Pretrial conference

B.   Appeals hearing

C.   Charging conference

D.   Sentencing hearing

16: Is direct evidence evidence, such as eyewitness testimony, that by itself proves (or disproves) a fact that is at issue in a case?

A.   True

B.   False

17: _____ is evidence provided by a witness that is based on information provided to the witness by someone else. Generally inadmissible, although there are a number of exceptions.

A.   Dual-sovereignty doctrine

B.   Hearsay evidence

C.   All of these

D.   Habeas corpus law

18: _____ is defined as evidence that requires the judge or jury to make inferences about what happened at the scene of the crime or judgments about the defendant’s role in the crime. Also referred to as circumstantial evidence.

A.   Equity

B.   Indirect evidence

C.   None of these

D.   Trial sufficiency policy

19: Is liberation hypothesis an explanation for research findings suggesting that legally irrelevant factors (e.g., the race or gender of the defendant and victim, the behavior of the victim at the time of the crime) come into play primarily in cases where the evidence is ambiguous and the outcome is therefore less predictable. The liberation hypothesis suggests that when the evidence is uncertain, jurors will be “liberated” from the constraints imposed by the law and will therefore feel free to take legally irrelevant factors into consideration during decision making?

A.   False

B.   True

20: _____ is a method of studying jury deliberations. Researchers use mock juries or mock trials that involve hypothetical scenarios. These may be actual mock trials, such as in a university classroom, or simple written scenarios wherein people (often college students) are asked to decide some hypothetical defendant’s fate. Then the researchers compare people’s demographic characteristics to the decisions they hand down.

A.   Mock jury study

B.   Trial sufficiency policy

C.   Retreat doctrine

D.   All of these

21: _____ is defined as according to the Fifth Amendment, “no person . . . Shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” That is, any person charged with an offense cannot be compelled to testify against himself or herself in a criminal trial.

A.   All of these

B.   Booking

C.   Plea bargaining

D.   Privilege against self-incrimination

22: _____ is known as this is an exception to the general rule that all relevant evidence is admissible at trial. Certain categories of individuals generally cannot be compelled to testify in criminal cases. This includes spouses, priests, doctors, or lawyers. The things these individuals say to one another are said to be privileged communications.

A.   Privileged communication

B.   Information

C.   None of these

D.   Incorporation

23: Is real evidence evidence that can be admitted into trial that consists of tangible items such as weapons used in the crime, DNA or fingerprints collected at the crime scene, or other “real” objects relevant to the case?

A.   False

B.   True

24: _____ is a classification of evidence that includes the actual testimony provided by a witness during a trial. Real evidence is introduced using testimonial evidence.

A.   All of these

B.   Testimonial evidence

C.   Automobile registration records

D.   All of these sources