CALIFORNIA BOYS STATE BAR EXAM
2024 LATEST VERSION FROM ACTUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
What are the three branches of government? Correct
Answer Executive, (President and about 5,000,000
workers) Legislative (Senate and House of
Representatives) and Judicial (Supreme Court and lower
Courts)
Is it possible to amend the U.S. Constitution by plebiscite?
Correct Answer An amendment can only be passed with
the approval of both houses of Congress, the Senate, and
the House of Representatives
How many amendments have been added to the U.S.
Constitution? Correct Answer amendments to the
constitution mean everything added since its ratification,
so it's technically correct to say 27, but most people
cluster the first 10 amendments into the constitution itself,
counting only the 17 times since as the actual ratifications
When and how did California become a state? Correct
Answer September 9, 1850
In 1848, the United States and Mexico signed the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending a war. At that time, California
,had 7,500 residents. The Mexican government was likely
unaware of what was held within the state or of the
population growth it was about to see.
California became a state in a very different way than
most states in the westward expansion of the United
States. To petition for statehood, it required 60,000
residents. Most states first became territories and then,
over time, built the population required for application for
statehood. In California, the discovery of gold, just nine
days before Mexico signed the treaty, began history's
largest gold rush. Rumors of gold nuggets, the size of a
man's fist, lying on the ground quickly made their way
east, leading to a massive influx of "forty-niners" looking
for a fortune. The area met the population requirement by
1849, and because of its need for civil government,
petitioned for statehood
When was the present California Constitution adopted?
Correct Answer May 7, 1879
How many amendments have been added to the
California Constitution? Correct Answer Over 500 times
What is an "ex post facto" law? Correct Answer a law that
retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status)
of actions that were committed, or relationships that
existed, before the enactment of the law
Which state official represents the state in court Correct
Answer State Attorney
, What is the difference between a civil and criminal suit?
Correct Answer Crimes are considered offenses against
the state, or society as a whole.
Criminal offenses and civil offenses are generally different
in terms of their punishment. Criminal cases will have jail
time as a potential punishment, whereas civil cases
generally only result in monetary damages or orders to do
or not do something.
The standard of proof is also very different in a criminal
case versus a civil case. Crimes must generally be proved
"beyond a reasonable doubt", whereas civil cases are
proved by lower standards of proof such as "the
preponderance of the evidence"
Criminal cases almost always allow for a trial by jury. Civil
cases do allow juries in some instances, but many civil
cases will be decided by a judge.
A defendant in a criminal case is entitled to an attorney,
and if he or she can't afford one, the state must provide an
attorney. A defendant in a civil case is not given an
attorney and must pay for one, or else defend him or
herself.
The protections afforded to defendants under criminal law
are considerable (such as the protection against illegal
searches and seizures under the 4th Amendment). Many
of these well known protections are not available to a
defendant in a civil case.
What are the duties of a Grand Jury? Correct Answer a
group that examines accusations against persons charged
with crime and, if the evidence warrants, makes formal
charges on which the accused persons are later tried.
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