The Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice System

Every state and nation in this world has a framework within which the laws that prohibit acts of crime are enforced on individuals guilty of these acts of crime. This framework is called the criminal justice system. (Dantzker 1998) has defined the system as, “lawmaking bodies as well as local state and federal agencies charged with enforcing the law and punishing those who are violators” (p 70).

The criminal justice system consists of three important components according to Dantzker, which are intrinsic to the implementation of the system and these are the “police, courts and correctional agencies “.The judicial system lays down the rules and laws   that are enforced by the police, however there are certain procedures that have to be followed before an offender can be convicted of a crime and then punished.

Which can also be interpreted as procedural law and includes, (Siegel, 2009) “the rules of evidence, the right to notice of charges, questions of appeal and the right to counsel” ( p 137) And includes nearly all the rights that possible offenders have in the current justice system over the last two decades.

According to Siegel   the   procedures of the Criminal justice system are as follows:  It begins with  “the initial contact” with  the suspect   and based on evidence a possible offender is arrested by the law enforcer  who is   then taken into ”custody”  and formally charged  with the crime . There is a “preliminary hearing” of the case in court and the “arraignment” of the case is completed. The accused can be released on “bail “.

The hearings take place before the “grand jury” in court,   where -in the suspects case is defended by his lawyer and the district attorney takes the prosecutions side and presents the evidence before the court. If found guilty by the grand jury the offender is sentenced to punishment as per the edicts of the law or he is allowed to walk free is he is able to prove his innocence, (Siegel, 2009). He is also allowed the right to appeal if the offender is not satisfied with the judgment.

The formal procedures of the system ensures that the enforcers  of the law do not abuse the powers vested in them and at the same  time the accused are given the opportunity to defend themselves . Formal procedures of the criminal justice system ensure that we live in a just and civilized world and is it is imperative  that this system be  sustained and is operational at all times.

References

Dantzker, M. L.  (1998). Criminology and Criminal Justice: Comparing and Contrasting Intertwining Disciplines, Boston, MA  : Butterworth-Heinemann.

Siegel, L. J. (2009). Introduction to Criminal Justice. 12th ed.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company