Question 1

During the process of death qualification, if a potential juror _____, he or she is excluded from serving on a capital jury.

Accepted Answer

A)   is unwilling to consider execution as a punishment
B)   had previously been a victim of a violent crime
C)   had witnessed a violent death before
D)   has any close relatives who died of unnatural causesE) B) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 2

In most countries with the death penalty other than the United States, the common methods of execution include all of the following, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)   hanging.
B)   shooting.
C)   beheading.
D)   lethal injection.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 3

The brutalization effect refers to the:

Accepted Answer

A)   tendency of juries to give more weight to aggravating factors in capital cases.
B)   increases in murder rates following executions.
C)   suggestion that brutal methods of execution like the electric chair deter murderers.
D)   likelihood that repeat offenders are more likely to be sentenced to death.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 4

In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty in its then-existing form unconstitutional in _____. However, executions resumed in _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   Atkins v. Virginia; 1977
B)   Atkins v. Virginia; 2000
C)   Furman v. Georgia; 1977
D)   Furman v. Georgia; 2000E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 5

More than 2,900 individuals are now on death row in the United States. It is most likely that the majority of them will:

Accepted Answer

A)   be executed within the next 5 years.
B)   die of injuries sustained in prison.
C)   die from lethal injection.
D)   die of natural causes.E) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 6

Excluding federal crimes, the only crime punishable by death in the United States is:

Accepted Answer

A)   incest.
B)   manslaughter.
C)   aggravated murder.
D)   aggravated rape.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 7

The death qualification process means that potential jurors are asked about their willingness to consider execution if the defendant is found guilty. According to the text, this process is often:

Accepted Answer

A)   just a mere formality.
B)   consensus-building.
C)   biasing in favor of the defendant.
D)   biasing against the defendant.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 8

Studies find that the race of the victim is more important than the race of the defendant when it comes to sentencing. Research shows that if the victim is _____, prosecutors are _____ likely to seek the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

A)   white; half as
B)   white; five times more
C)   black; twice as
D)   black; five times moreE) A) and B)
F) C) and D)

Question 9

Baldus, Woodworth, and Pulaski (1990)  analyzed 594 homicides in Georgia and found that blacks convicted of killing whites were sentenced to death in _____ of capital cases, while whites convicted of killing blacks were sentenced to death in _____ of capital cases.

Accepted Answer

A)   100%; 25%
B)   22%; 3%
C)   31%; 52%
D)   50%; 92%E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 10

In Lockhart v. McCree (1986) , the Supreme Court reviewed research on jurors' death qualification. The decision was to:

Accepted Answer

A)   dismiss the research findings as irrelevant and outlaw the use of death-qualified juries.
B)   dismiss the research findings as irrelevant and uphold the use of death-qualified juries.
C)   agree with the research findings and outlaw the use of death-qualified juries.
D)   disagree with the validity of the findings and order additional research on the issue.E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 11

Interestingly, research shows that, when mock jurors understand the instructions, there is no difference in the rate of death penalty recommendations based on race or ethnicity. However, when jurors do not fully comprehend the instructions, there is a clear bias against:

Accepted Answer

A)   black defendants.
B)   white defendants.
C)   Latino defendants.
D)   Muslim defendants.E) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 12

Constitutional challenges regarding the death penalty have taken place in many states. In Furman v. Georgia (1972) , the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. Although this decision _____ the death penalty, it _____ how it was carried out.

Accepted Answer

A)   did not abolish; put restrictions on
B)   did not abolish; also couldn't put any restrictions on
C)   strongly supported; also modified
D)   strongly supported; only partially affirmedE) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 13

In Roper v. Simmons (2005) , the Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for:

Accepted Answer

A)   the severely mentally ill.
B)   the intellectually disabled.
C)   elderly women.
D)   juvenile offenders.E) A) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 14

In those parts of the world where the death penalty is still in force (outside the United States) , the most widely used forms of execution are:

Accepted Answer

A)   lethal injection and the gas chamber.
B)   lethal injection and the electric chair.
C)   the gas chamber and the electric chair.
D)   hanging and shooting.E) A) and C)
F) All of the above D

Question 15

The two parts of a bifurcated capital trial are:

Accepted Answer

A)   defense arguments and prosecution arguments.
B)   presentation of aggravating factors and mitigating factors.
C)   trial presentation and jury deliberation.
D)   guilt phase and penalty phase.E) A) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 16

In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court rule that intellectually disabled individuals cannot be sentenced to death?

Accepted Answer

A)   Ring v. Arizona (2002) 
B)   Atkins v. Virginia (2002) 
C)   Roper v. Simmons (2005) 
D)   Hurst v. Florida (2016) E) All of the above
F) B) and D) B

Question 17

Compared to jurors who are screened out by the death qualification process, death-qualified jurors possess all of the following characteristics, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)   they are more likely to convict.
B)   they are more receptive to aggravating factors.
C)   they are less receptive to mitigating factors.
D)   they are more biased against the victim.E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 18

All of the following are examples of mitigating factors, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)   Mental state of the defendant was affected by a new antidepressant medication that sometimes leads to unprovoked aggression.
B)   The defendant was hired by the victim to be a getaway driver after the bank robbery that led to a fatal police chase.
C)   The defendant had illegally acquired a gun that was later used in the homicide and loaned it to various other people.
D)   The victim was a step-father who sexually abused the defendant for many years, and on the day of the murder the defendant discovered that the step-father started molesting the defendant's younger sister.E) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 19

In Roper v. Simmons (2005) , the Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for _____ because psychological research shows that their key psychological capacities are _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   juveniles; not yet fully developed
B)   juveniles; affected by childhood abuse
C)   rapists; underdeveloped
D)   rapists; affected by childhood abuseE) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 20

Capital crimes under the federal law include all of the following crimes, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)   treason.
B)   murder of a government official.
C)   sending lethal weapons like anthrax bacteria via USPS.
D)   possessing bomb-making material and instructions.E) B) and C)
F) None of the above D

Exam 17: The Death Penalty

During the process of death qualification, if a potential juror _____, he or she is excluded from serving on a capital jury.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In most countries with the death penalty other than the United States, the common methods of execution include all of the following, EXCEPT:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The brutalization effect refers to the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty in its then-existing form unconstitutional in _____. However, executions resumed in _____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

More than 2,900 individuals are now on death row in the United States. It is most likely that the majority of them will:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Excluding federal crimes, the only crime punishable by death in the United States is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The death qualification process means that potential jurors are asked about their willingness to consider execution if the defendant is found guilty. According to the text, this process is often:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Studies find that the race of the victim is more important than the race of the defendant when it comes to sentencing. Research shows that if the victim is _____, prosecutors are _____ likely to seek the death penalty.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Baldus, Woodworth, and Pulaski (1990) analyzed 594 homicides in Georgia and found that blacks convicted of killing whites were sentenced to death in _____ of capital cases, while whites convicted of killing blacks were sentenced to death in _____ of capital cases.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Lockhart v. McCree (1986) , the Supreme Court reviewed research on jurors' death qualification. The decision was to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Interestingly, research shows that, when mock jurors understand the instructions, there is no difference in the rate of death penalty recommendations based on race or ethnicity. However, when jurors do not fully comprehend the instructions, there is a clear bias against:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Constitutional challenges regarding the death penalty have taken place in many states. In Furman v. Georgia (1972) , the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. Although this decision _____ the death penalty, it _____ how it was carried out.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Roper v. Simmons (2005) , the Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In those parts of the world where the death penalty is still in force (outside the United States) , the most widely used forms of execution are:

Correct AnswerverifiedD

The two parts of a bifurcated capital trial are:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court rule that intellectually disabled individuals cannot be sentenced to death?

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Compared to jurors who are screened out by the death qualification process, death-qualified jurors possess all of the following characteristics, EXCEPT:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

All of the following are examples of mitigating factors, EXCEPT:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Roper v. Simmons (2005) , the Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for _____ because psychological research shows that their key psychological capacities are _____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Capital crimes under the federal law include all of the following crimes, EXCEPT:

Correct AnswerverifiedD

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In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty in its then-existing form unconstitutional in _. However, executions resumed in _.

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Studies find that the race of the victim is more important than the race of the defendant when it comes to sentencing. Research shows that if the victim is _, prosecutors are _ likely to seek the death penalty.

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Baldus, Woodworth, and Pulaski (1990) analyzed 594 homicides in Georgia and found that blacks convicted of killing whites were sentenced to death in _ of capital cases, while whites convicted of killing blacks were sentenced to death in _ of capital cases.

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Constitutional challenges regarding the death penalty have taken place in many states. In Furman v. Georgia (1972) , the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. Although this decision _ the death penalty, it _ how it was carried out.

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D

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B

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In Roper v. Simmons (2005) , the Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for _ because psychological research shows that their key psychological capacities are _.

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D