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Role of the criminal justice system
Law enforcement of the criminal justice system
Law enforcement of the criminal justice system
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The criminal justice system is composed of agencies and processes established by governments to control crime and impose penalties on those who violate laws. The way criminal justice systems work depends on the jurisdiction that is in charge. Different jurisdictions have different ways of managing criminal justice processes. The components of the criminal justice system are law enforcement, prosecution, defense attorneys, courts, and corrections. Law enforcement has many roles in the criminal justice process. The duties preformed by police officers include traffic citations, criminal investigations, emergency response, and crime prevention. Police officers are here to enforce all laws that are set by the government. When police officers encounter …show more content…
They are hired by the defendant and sometimes even appointed to someone that is not able to pay for one. The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to be represented by a qualified attorney. In Miranda V. Arizona, the Supreme Court mandated that every person who is arrested be informed of this right and that if they cannot afford an attorney, the court will provide one (Klein, 2012). These defense attorneys are impelled by law to assist their clients by making sure that they are treated fairly by the United States justice system. Their jobs see that people are granted the right to a trail by a jury of their peers, the right of innocent until proven guilty, the right to a speedy and public trial, and the right to remain silent (Klein, 2012). Lawyers are a necessary part of the criminal justice system. The next component of the criminal justice system is the court. These courts are ran by judges that make sure the law is followed and oversees what happens in the courtroom. The courts are put in place so that the judges can decide whether to release offenders before the trial, except or reject plea agreements, or sentence convicted offenders (Hoffmann, 2011). The courts provide a set of guidelines that are used to resolve disputes and to test and enforce laws in a fair and rational …show more content…
Then comes the investigation process. Officers try to sort through the evidence and come up with a solution or a suspect. Next comes the arrest or citation of an individual if the officer believes that there is enough facts and evidence to do so. If an officer does not find enough evidence or a suspect, the case remains open. After the arrest or citation comes the prosecution and pretrial. The prosecutor considers the evidence by the police and makes a decision whether or not to file charges against the accused. If charges are filed, the first court appearance is held. The accused will then appear in court and be informed of their charges and rights. The judge will then decide whether there is enough evidence to hold or release the accused. The judge can decide whether to hold the accused in jail or release them on
The criminal justice system has been evolving since the first colonists came to America. At first, the colonists used a criminal justice system that mirrored those in England, France, and Holland. Slowly the French and Dutch influences faded away leaving what was considered the English common law system. The common law system was nothing more than a set of rules used to solve problems within the communities. This system was not based on laws or codes, but simply that of previous decisions handed down by judges. Although rudimentary, this common law system did make the distinction between misdemeanors and the more serious crimes known as felonies.
The criminal justice process and the criminal court system go hand in hand. The criminal justice process is a sequence of events that a person who is accused of a felony will progress through. This process varies from state to state or jurisdiction and varies according to the seriousness of a crime or whether the accused is a juvenile or an adult. Generally, the criminal justice process involves several specific stages; however, not every case will include each stage or even follow a certain sequence. According to Matthew Lippman’s Essential Criminal Law (2014), these stages include:
Neubauer, D. W., & Fradella, H. F. (2011). America’s courts and the criminal justice system (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Since the 1800’s, the main duties of a uniformed police officer revolved around carrying out patrols and investigations into crimes (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a). A usual patrol involves the officers either walking on foot or using vehicles travel around neighborhoods as a way of deterring criminal activities (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a).
The criminal justice system is composed of three parts – Police, Courts and Corrections – and all three work together to protect an individual’s rights and the rights of society to live without fear of being a victim of crime. According to merriam-webster.com, crime is defined as “an act that is forbidden or omission of a duty that is commanded by public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law.” When all the three parts work together, it makes the criminal justice system function like a well tuned machine.
There are many different theories as to how many core components the criminal justice system is made up of. As I did my own research I found that there are 5 core components of the criminal justice system. First there is law enforcement which most know as police officers and or sheriffs. Anyone employed with law enforcement usually is responsible for taking reports for crimes that occur in their assigned area. Officers assist in investigating crimes and help to bring together and look after the evidence that is collected. Law enforcement have the authority to arrest offenders, and they also have a responsibility of providing a testimony during the court process.
The purpose of the criminal justice system is to judge suspects' guilt or innocence and determine punishment when someone is guilty of a crime. Punishment gives justice to the ...
Chloe, you are most definitely right about the importance of criminal law and how it sets the foundation of the criminal justice system. In a short and simple way, for the most part criminal law prevents crime; almost as if it is upholding values. All law, including the criminal law is designed as a mechanism for achieving social control (Clarkson, 2005, p. 253). Criminal law puts in place five functions that focus entirely on benefiting and stabilizing society. The first one is, ensuring our basic rights are intact, by defending and protecting our civil liberties. Second, making sure we have an established community that functions in a smooth way. For example, criminal law provides a major role in pollution control in which helps keep our
The answer is simple yet complex, organizational goals. The American criminal justice system could be viewed as a large organization. This organization has goals, or a mission, to provide a service to the public. The service the public generally expects from its tax-funded criminal justice system varies from sub-organizations within the major organization. But overall, the public generally expects the criminal justice system to respond to and prevent crime, while also dealing with criminals who have broken the laws of society. With these goals in mind, one can see the importance of collaborations between different departments, agencies, and other organizations that make up our criminal justice system.
Police have a critical role in the criminal justice system and the criminal investigation process. Police’s role is to prevent crime and enforce legal regulations. Police are provided several types of powers to fulfil their duties towards the community. These authorised powers are used to stop, search and detain a person when they’re certain a crime is committed. This ensures that citizens have their rights and privacy protected however, this power contains several advantages and disadvantages. Whilst this power allows police to catch more individuals who disobeys the law, couldn’t this power also violate an individual’s privacy and rights?
Law Enforcement officers are the most common symbol of the criminal justice system. Police officers enforce laws, provide services, prevent crime, and preserve the peace. (Gaines & Miller, 2014, p. 99) Police officers need to constantly adapt to new laws and new guidelines in order to properly do their jobs. For example, officers are required to have probable cause to search or detain a subject. If a search is conducted without probable cause the case will most likely be thrown out of court and the subject will get away with what they have done. Most arrests do not involve a warrant and are made due to the quick thinking and investigational work of the police officer. (Gaines & Miller, 2014, p. 163) In the case of an arrest that requires a warrant, an officer must get a judge to approve their request to detain a subject or search their property. While gathering the intelligence for this warrant and waiting for the...
Within every country there must be a system created to maintain as much peace as well as order within the country. This is done by laws and rules. There is the system called Criminal Justice Systems. Within this system it states: “a series of organizations involved in apprehending, prosecuting, defending, sentencing, and jailing those involved in crimes - including law enforcement, attorneys, judges, courts of law, prisons(Dictionary.com, 2014).” There are many levels that are brought to light in order for each country to create their Criminal Justice Legal System those suites their country. Some are based on traditions while others are created on history. Therefor with the understanding of what the Criminal Justice System is as well as what
The criminal justice system is composed of many intricate parts that are all necessary for the system to work properly. Every division of the system accounts for its own specific tasks and does their best to protect the law of the land. The major components are the police, the courts and the corrections. Each of these groups bring their own set of specialized skills to reach further towards the goal of a peaceful society.
The criminal justice system has four important components in India, namely, the Investigating Agency (Police), the Judiciary, the Prosecution Wing and the Prison and Correctional Services.
In Intro to Criminal Justice class, I had the opportunity to learn about the Criminal Justice System more thoroughly. I learned that there are three components that make up the Criminal Justice System such as the courts, law enforcement, and corrections. Each component has its own role in making sure the the Criminal Justice System is functioning properly. If one of these components are not efficient the Criminal Justice system will not be as strong as it could be.