Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT124 S3 Q14 Explanation

Criminologist: A judicial system

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

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Stimulus

Criminologist: A judicial system that tries and punishes criminals without delay is an effective deterrent to violent crime. Long, drawn-out trials and successful legal maneuvering may add to criminals' feelings of invulnerability. But if potential violent criminals they will hesitate to break the law.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion less likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines it.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
14.

Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the

Answer choices

  1. Correct73% picked this

    It is in the nature of violent crime that it is

    Why this is right

    This attacks the argument’s assumption that violent criminals know that being caught means prompt punishment.

    Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  2. Out of Scope - Temporal14% picked this

    About one-fourth of all suspects first arrested for a crime are

    The argument is about preventing violent crime with a credible threat of punishment. This is about what happens after the crime has occurred and has no bearing on whether someone believes they will be punished.

  3. Out of Scope7% picked this

    Many violent crimes are committed by first­

    Whether the person is a repeat or first-time offender has no bearing on whether they will consider the consequences before committing a violent crime.

  4. Out of Scope4% picked this

    Everyone accused of a crime has the right to

    The right to a trial has no bearing on whether someone will consider the consequences before committing a violent crime.

  5. Strengthens2% picked this

    Countries that promptly punish suspected lawbreakers have lower crime rates than countries that

    This reinforces the relationship that strong and swift punishment reduces the incidence of violent criminal behavior.

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