Criminal Justice

"The Criminal Justice System"

The reason I chose to do this topic is because I used to be a

Military Police Officer in the Army. I was stationed in Brooklyn, 7

miles away from New York City when 9/11 happened. I got to

experience more policing than military while I was there, we worked

hand in hand with the NYPD and the FDNY, it was very exciting. Also,

I have changed my major from Surgical Technologist to Law

Enforcement Technology. Once I get into my career and advance up

some, I would like to join either the Marine Unit or the Narcotics Unit.

So in turn, here is a brief overview of the criminal justice system

"The Private Sector" It initiates the response to crime. The first

response may come from any part of the private sector. They can be

individuals, families, neighborhood associations, business, industry,

agriculture, educational institutions, the news media, or any other

private service to the public. It involves crime prevention as well as

participation in the criminal justice process once a crime has been

committed. Private crime prevention is more than providing private

security or burglar alarms or participating in neighborhood watch.

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The government responds to crime through the criminal justice

system. We apprehend, try, and punish offenders by means of a loose

confederation of agencies at all levels of government. Our system of

government has evolved from the English common law into a complex

series of procedures and decisions. There is no single criminal justice

system in this country. We have many systems that are similar, but

individually unique. Criminal cases may be handled differently in

different jurisdictions, but court decisions based on the due process

guarantees of the U.S. Constitution require that specific steps be taken

in the administration of criminal justice.

"Entry into the System" The justice system does not respond to

most crime because so much crime is not discovered or reported to the

police. Law enforcement agencies learn about crime from the reports of

citizens, from discovery by a police officer in the field, or from

investigative and intelligence work. Once a law enforcement agency has

established that a crime has been committed, a suspect must be

identified and apprehended for the case to proceed through the system.

Sometimes, a suspect is apprehended at the scene; however,

identification of a suspect sometimes requires an extensive investigation.

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Often, no one is identified or apprehended.

"Prosecution and Pretrial Services" After an arrest, law

enforcement agencies present information about the case and about the

accused to the prosecutor, who will decide if formal charges will be filed

with the court. If no charges are filed, the accused must be released.

The prosecutor can also drop charges after making efforts to prosecute.

A suspect charged with a crime must be taken before a judge or

magistrate without unnecessary delay. At the initial appearance, the

judge or magistrate informs the accused of the charges and decides

whether there is probable cause to detain the accused person. Often,

the defense counsel is also assigned at the initial appearance.

"Adjudication"