Criminal Justice System and Process

Introduction

According to Morrison (2008) crime is a salient fact which is an integral part of many adverse risks humans are susceptible to, today. On the other hand a crime which is a wrong doing can be classified as a felony or a misdemeanor; this is because it is against a public law. A felony can be defined as a serious crime that is punishable by at least a year’s jail-term whereas a misdemeanor is a crime whose punishment is either a fine or and up to a year in jail (Smith, 2008). Crimes are therefore defined as well as punished by statutes and the common law.

There also exists a relationship between crime and law which is referred to as Criminal Law (Law Library, 2011). Criminal law is also termed as Penal law, it comprises of rules as well as statutes that have been written by the Congress and the state legislators who deal with criminal activities (petty crimes, felonies or misdemeanors) that have a direct or indirect harm to the general public and is accompanied by penalties of these crimes, (Morrison, 2008). Criminal law is enforced by the government. Criminal law has sub-sections that include: Substantive Criminal Law (deals with the substance of law i.e. identification of crimes and their classification) and Criminal Procedure (that deals with enforcement of the laws).

Criminal Justice System

The Criminal justice System includes processes as well as agencies that are established by the governments with an aim of controlling crime as well as imposing penalties on those who violate the laws, (Schmallager, 2009). In the United States there is no individual system rather there exist many similar systems. The operations within these systems are highly dependent on the jurisdiction that is in charge; i.e. city, state,...

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... York. Retrieved from http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/bclrarticles/5%281%29/Harcourt.pdf.pdf

Law Library. (2011). Criminal Justice System - Structural And Theoretical Components Of Criminal Justice Systems, The Systems In Operation, The Importance Of Viewing Criminal Justice As A System. American Law and Legal Information Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://law.jrank.org/pages/858/Criminal-Justice-System.html

Morrison, W. (2008). What is Crime? Contrasting Definitions and Perspectives. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199227297/hale2e_ch01.pdf

Schmallager, F. (2009). Criminal Justice Today, (10th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Smith, A. J. (2003). Criminal Justice Today. West Valley Community College – California. Retrieved from http://instruct.westvalley.edu/smith/aj1handouts/gaines_chapter1.pdf