Legal Research & Writing Flashcards
7 cards from real MPOETC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal Research & Writing flashcards as text
A police officer is preparing testimony and reviews their original report written at the scene. This practice is important because:
Answer: Reviewing notes refreshes accurate memory for consistent, credible testimony
Reviewing the original report before testifying helps an officer provide accurate, consistent testimony that aligns with contemporaneous documentation.
Which legal doctrine requires that evidence obtained through an illegal search be excluded from trial?
Answer: Exclusionary rule
The exclusionary rule, established in Mapp v. Ohio, bars evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment from being used in court.
In Pennsylvania, a criminal complaint is a sworn statement that:
Answer: Formally charges a person with a criminal offense
A criminal complaint is the formal charging document filed by a law enforcement officer that officially initiates criminal proceedings against a person.
When writing a use-of-force report, an officer should document force from which perspective?
Answer: The officer's perspective of what they perceived and why force was used
Use-of-force reports must document the officer's actual perceptions and reasoning at the time, as the legal analysis of force is based on what a reasonable officer would have perceived.
An officer preparing an affidavit discovers that a confidential informant's tip is the primary basis for probable cause. Which legal standard must the informant's information meet?
Answer: The tip must be corroborated by independent police investigation or established reliability
Under the totality-of-the-circumstances test from Illinois v. Gates, informant tips must be corroborated or the informant must have established reliability to support probable cause.
Which of the following best describes 'stare decisis' as it applies to law enforcement legal research?
Answer: Courts are bound to follow legal precedent established in prior decisions
Stare decisis ('to stand by things decided') is the doctrine requiring courts to follow precedent from higher courts, ensuring legal consistency that officers must understand.
In a criminal report, which of the following correctly identifies elements that must be proven for a simple assault charge under Pennsylvania law (18 Pa.C.S. § 2701)?
Answer: An attempt to cause or intentional, knowing, or reckless causing of bodily injury to another
Pennsylvania's simple assault statute (18 Pa.C.S. § 2701) requires proof that the actor attempted or actually caused bodily injury intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly.