The Criminal Justice Process

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Both the federal government and states have authority to prosecute for criminal behavior in the United States. Each has their own criminal statutes, court systems, prosecutors, and police agencies to help deter crime. These criminal statutes control how suspects are investigated charged and tried. The court system institutes rules and policies that consist of their own structures and procedures within each state. Prosecutors are the most powerful and influential representatives of the court system. Sometimes a case can begin in a lower court then work its way up to a higher court depending on the crime. The law enforcers are made up of small town police officials and go all the way up to large federal agencies. Crimes that are often …show more content…

The police conduct a preliminary investigation then later conduct a secondary or follow up investigation. The primary goal of the preliminary investigation is to secure the crime scene to protect the integrity of the evidence. The follow-up investigation is when they thoroughly collect, preserve and relinquish the evidence to the evidence tech in the lab with a chain of custody form. The manner in which each stage of the criminal justice process helps to build a successfully litigated action is to “develop legally admissible evidence to obtain and sustain a conviction of those who are guilty and warrant prosecution” (americanbar.org). This will enable the prosecutor to make a fair and objective determination of the charges and to shield against the prosecution of the innocent. The process starts with a crime, then an investigation, an arrest, and then a booking occurs. After a suspect is formally charged they make an initial appearance before a judge in which the suspect is notified of the charges brought against them. Next would be a preliminary hearing, an arraignment, a trial and if the defendant is found guilty then the next step is sentencing. There is a right to appeal that may be allowed and then, once the sentence is passed, the defendant starts the corrections/sanctions imposed by the court. Once a sentence has been fully served, the person is released; this is the final stage of the criminal justice process.

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