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Criminal Justice Reflection

Decent Essays

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

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