How Might Public Opinion Affect a Prosecutor's Decision to Try

question 31

Multiple Choice

How might public opinion affect a prosecutor's decision to try a certain case?

• A) Prosecutors conduct surveys of the community to determine which cases are most important.
• B) Most prosecutors are elected, so their decisions should reflect community values.
• C) Prosecutors have no discretion to try cases-they must bring every case they receive to court.
• D) Prosecutors keep the community happy by having low conviction rates.
• E) Public opinion does not affect prosecutorial decision-making.

---

Definitions:

Contingency

The possibility that an event may occur, dependent on the fulfillment of certain conditions or the occurrence of another event.

Meat Powder

A powdered form of meat used primarily as a dietary supplement or in food processing.

Negative Contingency

A relationship where the occurrence of one behavior decreases the likelihood of another event or behavior.

Signaled Shock

A procedure in conditioning experiments where a signal or cue is given before an aversive stimulus, such as a shock, to study learning and anticipation.