SCCJA Legals 1: Questions / Answers
Ethics ✔️Ans -study of what is morally right and what is not Motivations for unethical conduct ✔️Ans -Anger lust greed peer pressure Common crimes officer commit ✔️Ans -False statements, larceny, sex offenses, battery Average experience level of officers who get in ethical dilemmas ✔️Ans -7 years 1st phase of continuum of compromise ✔️Ans -Omission Examples of omission ✔️Ans -Ignoring traffic violations, failing to conduct follow ups, complete paperwork 2nd phase of continuum of compromise ✔️Ans -administrative Examples of administrative unethical conduct ✔️Ans -drinking on duty, not reporting accidents 3rd phase of continuum of compromise ✔️Ans -criminal Examples of criminal unethical conduct ✔️Ans -evidence tampering, thefts
- justifications for unethical conduct ✔️Ans -denial of victim, victim of
circumstance, higher cause, victim blaming Denial of victim ✔️Ans -officer believes there's no victim, so no harm done.example- stealing money from drug dealer Victim of circumstance ✔️Ans -Officer believes no choice but to act in a certain way Higher cause ✔️Ans -Officer believes he must break rules to accomplish goal. example- unlawful search of sexual predator 1 / 3
Consequences of unethical conduct ✔️Ans -Criminal charges, civil litigation, negative impact on community relations, disciplinary action, loss of certification, domestic problems Greatest consequence of unethical conduct ✔️Ans -officer safety
- groups that officers feel pressured by to keep quiet about unethical conduct
- consequences officers believe will happen if they don't uphold code of
- ways social media affects law enforcement ✔️Ans -agency's image and
- reasons academy can deny certification ✔️Ans -conviction of a felony or
- reasons certification can be revoked ✔️Ans -Falsification of certification
✔️Ans -Individuals who commit the act, someone not involved in it
silence ✔️Ans -Officer involved will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be disciplined, officer who ratted will be shunned, administration won't do anything Ways agencies can control code of silence ✔️Ans -ethics training, accountability, open communication, anon reporting, protect officers who come forward
officer's credibility
crime with sentence of more than 1 year, illegal use of controlled substance, excessive force, unsafe firearm or vehicle usage, abuse of public, falsification of employment info, lying to employer, untruthfulness to employer
application, officer found ineligible for service due to failure to meet prereqs, officer convicted of criminal offense, misconduct Moral turpitude ✔️Ans -Anything done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals.Crimes of moral turpitude ✔️Ans -fraud larceny intent to harm persons or things Statutory law ✔️Ans -enacted by legislature 2 / 3
Common law ✔️Ans -developed in England from customs and court decisions, adopted by SC in 1712 How many felony categories? ✔️Ans -6 How many felonies exempt from classification system? And what kind?✔️Ans -40- Murder, Homicide by Child Abuse, Burglary 1st, drug trafficking How many misdemeanor categories? ✔️Ans -3 What misdemeanors are exempt from classification? ✔️Ans -Those that carry term of less than 1 year or more than 3 Class A Misdemeanor ✔️Ans -3 yrs Class B Misdemeanor ✔️Ans -2 yrs Class C Misdemeanor ✔️Ans -1 yr
- types of defendants ✔️Ans -principal, accessory
- / 3
Types of courts ✔️Ans -summary, family, circuit, SC court of appeals, SC supreme court Summary court divisions ✔️Ans -magistrate (crimes with $500 fine, 30 days) municipal (city ordinance violations, civil cases) Circuit Court ✔️Ans -Court of General Sessions (criminal), Common Pleas (civil). Bond hearings for death penalty SC Court of Appeals ✔️Ans -Court reviews cases, except death penalty SC Supreme Court ✔️Ans -Hears Direct Appeals and Writ of Cert Types of Direct Appeals ✔️Ans -death penalty murder, public utility, public bond, elections, constitutional questions Order of trying a case ✔️Ans -Crime occurs, arrest/bond hearing, prelims, grand jury, arraignment