A discretionary act is best described as:

• A. A simple, mandatory duty
• B. An act requiring no judgment
• C. The exercise of personal deliberation and judgment
• D. An act performed automatically

Answer: (C)

Discretionary acts are actions based on personal judgment in deciding how to respond to a situation. This means the official weighs the facts, considers risks and policy, and chooses among possible courses of action rather than simply following a fixed rule. The correct idea here is that the action involves deliberate consideration and a choice about what to do next.

This distinguishes it from a simple, mandatory duty, which must be performed in a specified way regardless of the circumstances, and from actions that require no judgment or are performed automatically, which don’t involve choosing between options. For example, directing traffic at a complex intersection or deciding whether to arrest or warn in a given scenario involves weighing factors and making a decision, not just executing a predetermined step.