CLE (Criminology) flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Mala in se

Offenses inherently wrong or evil in themselves, such as murder, rape, and theft, regardless of whether a statute prohibits them.

Mala prohibita

Acts that are wrong only because a statute prohibits them, such as illegal gambling or traffic violations, and generally require no criminal intent.

Impossible crime

A felony committed by a person who performs an act that would be an offense against persons or property but is inherently impossible to consummate, such as shooting a corpse.

Justifying circumstances

Circumstances such as self-defense, defense of stranger, and state of necessity that negate criminal liability because the act is lawful.

Warrantless arrest

A lawful arrest without a warrant when the person commits a crime in the officer's presence, is an escaped prisoner, or an offense has just been committed with probable cause.

Chain of custody

The documented record of every transfer of seized evidence, showing date, time, person, and purpose, to establish its integrity and admissibility in court.

RA 6975

The DILG Act of 1990, which created the Philippine National Police and placed it under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

NAPOLCOM

The National Police Commission, the policy-making and supervisory body of the PNP, responsible for administration and discipline of uniformed personnel.

Span of control

The number of subordinates a supervisor can effectively direct and supervise, determined by the complexity of tasks and the supervisor's capacity.

Police Blotter

The official record of events and incidents maintained at a police station, documenting complaints, arrests, and other occurrences in chronological order.

Patrol

The backbone of police operations, providing visible presence that deters crime and enables officers to observe and detect criminal activity.

Three pillars of justice

The core components of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, prosecution, and the courts, with corrections and community as additional pillars.

Custodial investigation rights

Constitutional rights of a person under investigation, including the right to remain silent, to counsel, and to be informed of these rights.

Modus operandi

The distinctive method or pattern an offender uses to commit crimes, which can link multiple offenses to the same suspect.

Three tools of investigation

The investigative triad of information (records and witnesses), interrogation and interview (testimonial evidence), and instrumentation (forensic laboratory examination).

Crime scene preservation

The process of securing and documenting a scene, including photography, sketching, and systematic search, before evidence is collected and packaged.

Casing

The pre-surveillance study of a target's habits, routines, and environment conducted by an investigator or offender before an operation.

Born criminal theory

Lombroso's positivist theory that criminals are identifiable by atavistic physical stigmata, reflecting an inherited primitive nature.

Differential association

Sutherland's theory that criminal behavior is learned through interaction with intimate personal groups that favor law violation.

Social bond theory

Hirschi's control theory identifying four bonds-attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief-whose weakness increases delinquency risk.

Routine activity theory

Cohen and Felson's theory that crime occurs when a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian converge.

Crime triangle

A problem-analysis model with three elements-offender, victim or target, and place-where removing any element prevents the crime.

Crime rate formula

The number of crimes divided by population, multiplied by 100,000, allowing comparison of crime levels across jurisdictions of different sizes.

Bureau of Corrections

The national agency under the Department of Justice that administers national prisons, including the New Bilibid Prison and its satellite facilities.

BJMP

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which administers city and municipal jails and holds persons awaiting trial or serving short sentences.

Indeterminate sentence law

A sentencing scheme imposing a minimum and maximum term, with the minimum based on the penalty next lower in degree than that prescribed.

Parole

The conditional release of a prisoner after serving the minimum of an indeterminate sentence, recommended by the Board of Pardons and Parole.

Fingerprint principles

The three principles of individuality, permanence, and infallibility that make fingerprints reliable for identification of persons.

AFIS

The Automated Fingerprint Identification System, which matches latent prints against a database using minutiae such as ridge endings and bifurcations.

Class vs individual characteristics

Class characteristics narrow evidence to a group (caliber, pattern), while individual characteristics identify a specific source (striations, firing pin marks).

Manner of death

The classification of death as natural, accidental, homicidal, suicidal, or undetermined, distinct from the cause of death.

RA 6713

The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, mandating public interest, professionalism, and simple living.

Command responsibility

The doctrine holding supervisors accountable for subordinates' acts when they knew or should have known and failed to act.