CJBAT Law Enforcement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer stops a driver for speeding and smells marijuana coming from the vehicle. Under the automobile exception, what may the officer legally do?
- Search the vehicle without a warrant based on probable cause (Correct answer)
- Detain the driver for 24 hours without charges
- Search the driver's home
- Seize the vehicle permanently without a hearing
Correct answer: Search the vehicle without a warrant based on probable cause
The automobile exception allows a warrantless vehicle search when an officer has probable cause that contraband or evidence is present.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of Miranda warnings?
- To inform suspects of their rights before custodial interrogation (Correct answer)
- To formally charge a suspect with a crime
- To grant immunity from prosecution
- To replace the need for an arrest warrant
Correct answer: To inform suspects of their rights before custodial interrogation
Miranda warnings protect a suspect's Fifth Amendment rights during custodial interrogation.
Question 3: A 'Terry stop' allows an officer to do which of the following?
- Briefly detain and frisk a person based on reasonable suspicion (Correct answer)
- Arrest anyone in a high-crime area
- Conduct a full search of a home
- Hold a suspect indefinitely without cause
Correct answer: Briefly detain and frisk a person based on reasonable suspicion
Terry v. Ohio permits a brief investigative detention and pat-down for weapons based on reasonable suspicion.
Question 4: Which standard of proof is required to make a lawful arrest?
- Probable cause (Correct answer)
- Reasonable suspicion
- Beyond a reasonable doubt
- A preponderance of the evidence
Correct answer: Probable cause
An arrest requires probable cause that a crime has been or is being committed.
Question 5: During a domestic violence call, what is generally the officer's first priority on arrival?
- Ensuring the safety of everyone, including separating the parties (Correct answer)
- Writing the incident report
- Determining who pays the household bills
- Contacting the news media
Correct answer: Ensuring the safety of everyone, including separating the parties
Officer and victim safety, including separating the parties, is the immediate priority at a domestic call.
Question 6: The use-of-force continuum primarily helps officers decide what?
- The appropriate level of force proportional to a subject's resistance (Correct answer)
- How many officers to assign to a shift
- Which radio code to use
- How long to detain a witness
Correct answer: The appropriate level of force proportional to a subject's resistance
The use-of-force continuum guides officers to apply force proportional to the level of threat or resistance.
Question 7: What does 'chain of custody' refer to in a criminal investigation?
- The documented handling of evidence from collection to court (Correct answer)
- The order officers respond to calls
- The ranking structure of a police department
- The sequence of suspects in a lineup
Correct answer: The documented handling of evidence from collection to court
Chain of custody is the chronological documentation showing who handled evidence to preserve its integrity.
CJBAT Law Enforcement 2
An officer stops a driver for speeding and smells marijuana coming from the vehicle.
Under the automobile exception, what may the officer legally do?