Michael Davis William Post Intro to Criminal Justice 21 November 2017 My Interaction with a Component of the Criminal Justice System Court observations provide excellent opportunities to witness some of the most crucial work that occurs in North Carolina’s criminal justice system. My observation of a Superior Court session at the Watauga County Courthouse highlighted some of the concepts that have been included in our class discussions. For example, every case during my two and a half hours at the courthouse consisted of a plea bargain between the defense and the prosecution. For each plea deal, the judge followed the same procedure: asking questions regarding the defendant’s education level, current drug and alcohol use, citizenship …show more content…
The victim impact statements largely focused on the alleged lack of remorse of the defendant, who was quoted as saying “well, people die everyday,” the fact the the parents of the defendant will never get to meet their potential grandchildren, and the overwhelming sadness that never would go away. The judge likely considered the 0.24 BAC, which is three times the legal limit, and the fact that the defendant was belligerent and actually assaulted one of the officers as aggravating factors for sentencing. Since the defendant was an ASU student, this case made me think of how easy my life could be forever changed because of an irresponsible decision. Following the involuntary manslaughter case, another defendant was charged with possession of methamphetamines and intent to distribute Hydrocodone. During a traffic stop, the officer utilized the plain view doctrine when he observed the drugs and a sawed-off shotgun in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle. Since the defendant and the prosecution reached a plea deal, the prosecution decided to drop one of the charges in order for the defendant to plead guilty to possession of methamphetamines. In addition to paying $420 for a court appointed attorney, the defendant also had to pay a $600 lab fee since the state had to verify that the drugs in question were methamphetamines and Hydrocodone. Even though the defendant was already on probation in Caldwell County, the judge granted the
Before the trial even started, the entire court house was evacuated due to the fire alarm going off. After the building was cleared, we were allowed back in and returned to normal operations. I stayed for half a day of the trial in this case. My first initial observations were that the lawyers from both sides were rather friendly with each other and talked as friends. I also noticed a difference in the way the lawyers performed during the trial. ASA Williams was very calm and collected, very well versed, and did not appear to react in any negative manner when the defense made an objection. In my opinion, PD Scarbrough did a mediocre job during this trial. She appeared to be nervous when she spoke to the judge or the jury, and also when the prosecution made any objection she appeared to get flustered rather quickly. In my opinion, the judge handled the trial extremely well and I feel that she ruled correctly when she made her
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.
2. For defense attorneys a “successful” case often means a reduction in sentence via a plea bargain, not
There are three significant issues concerning law enforcement, namely enacting the law, police discretion, and assessment of criminal behavior. Different entities create and enact laws that are specific for the societies those laws represent.
For the past 50 years, America’s criminal justice system has encountered several significant changes dealing with courts and policing. According to Marion and Oliver (2006), the historical Supreme Court rulings like Mapp v. Ohio and Miranda v. Arizona mold the way courts and law enforcement handle individuals charged with committing crimes. This paper will discuss the evolution of courts and law enforcement reflects the diverse and changing need for today’s population which is first importance, the urgency for cooperation and communication among criminal justice agencies and law enforcement within the country. Individuals must
1) There are multiple goal statements (see the highlighted statement in the body of your paper). What is the ultimate goal and thesis statement for this project?
I grew up in a neighborhood which is riddled with crime. Unfortunately, people who I grew up with became involved in gangs and criminal activities. Those actions led to them having a criminal record. When looking through the options of the podcast, People who are involved in the criminal justice system is the one I thought would be most interesting. The person Bradley Jacobs discusses what he does in the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES).
The criminal justice system is a group of institutions that work together to protect a society, prevent and control crime, and maintain justice; enforcing the laws regulated by society. As the years have gone by and society has evolved; so have the criminal justice system and its methods to accomplish its role in society. This short analysis will evaluate the main facts that have been affecting the criminal justice system for decades and have influenced the evolution the justice system is enduring in a changing society (Muraski, 2009). Amongst the changes in the system, we will discuss the effect the changes have had on the citizens and how their perceptions have evolved as well.
The Criminal Justice System goes as far back as the days of Jesus. There were Soldiers who acted like policeman, the tribune which was the court system, and Caesar, Herod and even Pontius Pilate stood as judge. The prison system was that of dark caves and dungeons. As we journey to the twenty-first century, nothing has genuinely changed. In my essay I will explicate how the various aspect of criminal justice relate to one another as well as why it so important in society. Criminal Justice refers to the facet of social justice that concern violators of criminal law. The
In order to keep a safe society, it is important to establish a nation with
This paper will describe my understanding of the text and of the lectures provided in the class. Unlike most classes, where I understood only my view of the text, this class was geared so each student would understand each other’s view. 3 An organization is a collective that has some boundary and internal structure that engages in activities related to some complex set of goals. Members of organizations attempt to meet their psychological, ego and emotional needs within the organization. Criminal justice organizations are particularly unique compared to other public or private sector organizations because of the governmental granted authority. Management within these organizations can be defined as the process by
Before going into college to study Criminal Justice, I had the same opinion as most people had when it came to criminals or deviant behavior. The classic “if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime,” phrase was mentioned many times throughout my youth, whether it be for something as simple as an explanation for grounding me or to explain why doing the wrong things will give you a one-way ticket to prison. My life was surrounded by crime. I managed to separate myself from the “wrong-doers” with the help of my mother, but I still spent most of my life around law enforcement. To me, police officers were always the ones doing everything right. In my mind, if someone died at the hands of a police officer it was probably their fault, if they were beaten they deserved it, the police were only doing what they had to do to make our communities a safer place.
At the majors fair I visited a total of three different major tables. Those majors were Criminal Justice, Anthropology and Simulation and Game Design. The first major that I visited was the Criminal Justice table because I am taking intro to Criminal Justice and wanted more information about the major. At the table was Ms. Kusko the department chair and also my professor for my Criminal Justice Class. At the table I learned that students interested in the Criminal Justice field have to take the intro class and also a few psychology classes such as the intro class and the Psych and Law class. Additionally, I learned that there are very interesting jobs for graduates in the Criminal Justice major from working in local law enforcement all the
The law has always intrigued me, I have grown up my whole life wanting to be an attorney, specifically in criminal law. While I am now unsure if I will make the plunge into law school, one thing I know is that I have really enjoyed this class, specifically the first portion of the semester on criminal law. When I chose my articles every week I was naturally drawn to the articles that involved in criminal offenses, such as the teenager who ‘snapped’ when he killed his parents, and family dog, and the the hazing case in a college fraternity. While I started following these stories fairly late in the semester, week nine, and ten in the articles project, I still follow them now. Before this assignment I never read the newspaper, aside from the occasional “Dear Abby” story. After this assignment I realized there was a difference in the way the same stories were portrayed in the newspaper and on the news on the television. Reading the newspaper has changed my perspective on current events, and has challenged my opinions that I had made based on watching the news.
As stated above, as a criminal justice major, academically, I have gained the ultimate development and background of the Criminal Justice System and its practices from my Intro to Criminal Justice and Criminal Law class; how they implement the laws and apply them to crimes, offenses, and offenders. The whole concept of the criminal justice system is to uphold social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or execute sanctions for people who violate the law. Throughout my Criminal Justice courses, I found certain concepts interesting; the concepts that I found most important surrounding the Criminal Justice System were Deterrence, Rehabilitation, and Punishment. These three major factors are substantially the main functions and focus in regards to offenders. Deterrence, rehabilitation, and punishment are elements that help offenders readapt back into society so they can reestablish all of the mechanisms they need to be successful. They prevent future crime, implement reconstruction, and issue consequences. They are significant and crucial factors that the criminal justice system used to promote safety, change, and justice. Deterrence focuses on future behavior by both individuals and society. As a result of offenders receiving punishment, people will deter or discourage from committing crimes in the future. The hedonistic calculus argued that harsher punishment for committing a crime will cause pain rather than pleasure and crime would be prevented (Seiter, 2017). It is basically the concept of making the punishment outweigh the reward or pleasure. I learned that they are two kinds of deterrence which are specific and general deterrence. Specific deterrence is preventing an individual offender from repeating the same crime over in the future while general deterrence focuses on society as a whole and prevent them from committing a crime in the future (Seiter, 2017). The criminal justice system also believes that it is important to focus on the offender's attitude and behavior and tries to improve them for the can reenter into society as law-abiding citizens (Seiter, 2016). Because of my Corrections class, I learned that correctional facilities have all sort of programs the deal with drug/alcohol abuse, mental