Criminal Justice System Analysis

The core components of todays American Criminal Justice System include the police, the courts, and corrections. All three components have many different daily duties and responsibilities.

Police Officers and Law Enforcement Agencies are typically the most informed in detail due to them having the knowledge of the incident itself that put the “accused” in the position to be apprehended. When reports of a crime have been made the Police or Law Enforcement Agency of that jurisdiction must conduct the investigation. When conducting investigations there are many factors to consider, starting with being sure you know the location or proximity of where the crime may have occurred. This location is where law enforcement officers will make attempts …show more content…
2014). Following the submission of an indictment from the grand jury comes the arraignment. This is a court appearance before the court who has jurisdiction over the person’s case. During this hearing the defendant’s identity is established or confirmed on record, the Judge informs the defendant of the charges brought against them along with their rights, and the defendant submits their plea of guilty or not guilty. The process following the arraignment is adjudication which under the 6th amendment gives every criminal defendant the right to a trial by jury (Schmalleger, Frank. 2014). With that being said, less serious criminal charges that bring a maximum sentence of only 6 months to 1 year are not covered under the 6th amendment. However, it is more common than not that criminal cases do not make it to trial. This is because most trials are dispensed of as a result of a plea bargain, or are commonly dismissed for a variety of reasons. Due to this studies reflect the fact that 82% of all sentences that are imposed in criminal cases due to guilty pleas rather than resulting from a trial by jury (Schmalleger, Frank. 2014). According to information provided in our text there are several …show more content…
My reasoning for this is due to the fact that plea bargains in modern society are not used for what they were originally intended for. There was a period in time where plea bargaining with a defendant in a criminal case was agreed upon based on the defendant having valuable information regarding high profile cases of murders, abductions, rapes, etc. If the person convicted was charged and convicted of capitol murder and received the death penalty the prosecution would plea bargain with the defendant in order to make progress in a large case that has remained unsolved. However, even in this case the idea of the prosecution was looking to gain another conviction under their belt while still considering the proper punishment for the crime in which the defendant they are plea bargaining

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