Spelling and Vocabulary Flashcards

Which spelling is correct for the legal term meaning a court order requiring someone to appear?

Answer: subpoena

Subpoena is spelled s-u-b-p-o-e-n-a, a Latin-origin word meaning 'under penalty.'

A police report states the suspect was 'belligerent.' What does this mean?

Answer: aggressively hostile or combative

Belligerent describes someone who is aggressively hostile, quarrelsome, or inclined to start fights.

Which word is spelled correctly?

Answer: harassment

Harassment has one 'r' and two 's' letters: h-a-r-a-s-s-m-e-n-t.

An officer describes a witness as 'corroborating' a statement. This means the witness is:

Answer: confirming or supporting the account

To corroborate means to confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding.

Select the correctly spelled word for a sworn statement made under oath outside of court:

Answer: affidavit

Affidavit is spelled with double 'f': a-f-f-i-d-a-v-i-t.

Which word best completes this sentence? 'The officer exercised ___ when deciding not to arrest the juvenile.'

Answer: discretion

Discretion (d-i-s-c-r-e-t-i-o-n) means the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

The term 'perpetrator' in a police report refers to:

Answer: the person who committed the crime

A perpetrator is the person who carries out or commits a harmful, illegal, or immoral act.