The legislative branch of government establishes laws in the country. But the courts get to say how those laws are really enforced. In particular, it will discuss the roles of the primary players, how they are chosen, and their relevance in the judicial process. Courtrooms are explicitly designed for the most expedient and effective resolution of all pending legal matters (Ely, 2016). The judge sits on a high platform at the front of the courtroom. The judge is elevated so they can survey the entire courtroom and maintain order. This further illustrates the judge’s status as the court’s ultimate decision-maker.
This essay will discuss who does what in a courtroom, reason, and interdependence with police and correctional services.
As the top court official, the judge is responsible for many responsibilities. The judge oversees both the trial itself and any preliminary hearings. The court’s order is now under his purview. In other words, it is up to him to rule on whether or not the evidence offered is admissible (Keane & McKeown, 2014). In addition to being helpful during trials before a judge and/or jury, he is also valuable in situations where the jury decides how the law should be implemented. Judges’ cases end with him deciding the outcome after considering all the evidence.
The president of the United States nominates all federal judges, who the Senate must then confirm. Justices of the US Supreme Court, US Courts of Appeals, and US District Courts are all included. Only by breaking the law can a federal judge be removed from their position. However, article III of the constitution states that judges can only serve as long as they are on “good behavior.” The code of ethics must be strictly adhered to for juries to remain in power. Impeachment through Congress is the sole means through which a jury member can be removed from office, and this happens only in cases of serious ethical or legal misconduct. All judges must act in an unbiased manner. A fair decision must be made without favoritism. The judge’s responsibilities extend far beyond the confines of the courtroom. The jury system is an essential check on societal morals. U.S. judges make decisions on matters that affect every person. The judge’s job is to determine whether or not the evidence presented by the prosecution, the defense, and the witnesses is credible. Judges assigned to a district court hear cases within that district’s legal boundaries. In the United States, a magistrate judge helps district court judges prepare their patients. When all parties agree, they can even preside over civil and minor criminal matters. In the United States, judges who sit as bankruptcy and/or magistrates are appointed with the intention of serving fixed terms. They, therefore, lack the same job security as federal judges.
There will also be lawyers and the people involved in the case present in court. Any individual or group with a stake in a patient’s outcome is called “a party” in legal parlance. The lawyer appears in court on the client’s behalf and mounts a legal defense via proper legal channels. The counsel for both sides have the same positions (Keane & McKeown, 2014). The accused must appear in court during the trial. But in civil matters, the parties have the option of not showing up to court. In legal processes, there are often two sorts of lawyers involved: those representing the plaintiff and those representing the defendant (Testa & Lee, 2021). The plaintiff’s attorney will typically use evidence that supports the client’s position in court.
In the United States, a substitute attorney represents the president. These lawyers are most commonly known as federal prosecutors. On the other hand, the accused person’s legal defender will use evidence to prove their client’s innocence. Any American criminal defendant who cannot afford a lawyer will have one appointed for them by the court and paid for out of the general treasury. Established by the president, approved by congress, and confirmed by the Senate, U.S. attorneys typically serve for a set period of time (Ely, 2016). The courtroom deputy, often known as the court clerk, is an essential part of every court. The deputy clerk’s primary responsibility is to administer oaths to witnesses. In addition to his other duties, he labels exhibits and helps keep the trial moving smoothly. The clerk of the court, who the sitting judges choose, usually hires the deputies who work in the courtroom. The chief district judge and the clerk work together to ensure that the court runs well.
All proceedings in American courts must be documented verbatim by law. While other courts use court reporters to prepare and retain records, others still tape the proceedings themselves. Therefore, the court reporter creates records of proceedings if any party to the case, particularly in appeals, requires them. When a judge cannot reach a verdict, a jury is convened to determine guilt or innocence. The jury is present throughout the trial. A jury is often composed of citizens randomly selected by the state. Some issues may also call for expert insight on rare occasions. Professionals with relevant experience and knowledge may be required in such cases to provide useful commentary. In most cases, the parties to a dispute will propose an expert witness for an appointment, while the court has the right to appoint an expert witness when necessary.
Today’s global society is so interconnected that it is not unusual for people of vastly diverse cultural backgrounds and linguistic vocabularies to coexist together. This means that there will likely be witnesses and litigants in a court case who speak languages other than English. Professional translators are required for this kind of scenario. The court will typically appoint an interpreter for the proceedings. The courtroom also houses potential witnesses. The witnesses must supply essential evidence in civil and criminal trials. To testify truthfully, witnesses must swear to do so under oath. Witnesses must take responsibility for any false statements they make in court. Since witnesses must answer for their testimony in court and thoroughly investigate all evidence, dishonest parties will eventually be exposed and prosecuted. Eyewitness identification can be crucial when a suspect is being held in jail despite the fact that he or she is innocent. The problem arises when an accused person hears the testimony of a witness. Without an alibi, the accused may have to face certain unfavorable outcomes, like being locked up. Despite the fact that it is often hard to verify an eyewitness’s testimony, these individuals’ credibility remains high. Despite the judges’ knowledge of statistics, they nevertheless believe the witnesses. Although witnesses are typically called in at the request of one of the parties, they are considered court witnesses regardless. Witnesses don’t need to see the proceedings before they testify (Balkin, 2015). The attorneys or prosecutors will ask the witnesses questions from the witness stand. The burden of analysis and interpretation is with the judges, not the witnesses.
In addition, courtrooms employ ushers who welcome and direct visitors and provide security. Ushers in the courtroom are especially useful in high-stakes proceedings like criminal trials. Typically, they hang out at the courthouse’s main door. In addition to guiding witnesses to the witness box and directing the public and the media to their seats, court attendants do a variety of other useful responsibilities.
Prosecutorial Discretion
Prosecutorial discretion is the prosecutor’s authority to decide which criminal charges will be pursued in court and against whom. Because of this advantage, prosecutors are now in positions of great authority. Prosecutors are held to a high standard of morality in how they use their discretion. It is critical to provide the prosecutor with the necessary details of a charge to allow for an informed judgment to be made (Ely, 2016). Prosecutors are urged to uphold ethical standards since they may come under fire for any poor decisions they make. It is important for prosecutors to keep track of their deliberations in case there is a disagreement over the prosecutor’s ethical judgment, thus they should document the entire process. Prosecutors control the flow of cases into courtrooms, and when they let in more cases, the courts become overwhelmed.
It is important to remember that judging a case unethically because of how busy the judge is would be based on the workload alone. The prosecutor’s decision-making process should be properly recorded to prevent any unethical use of prosecutorial discretion (Ely, 2016). Decisions like these should be made public so that everyone may review them, and there should be some kind of recourse for challenging the prosecutor’s judgment if someone believes that important details were omitted. This will allow for the proper procedures to be followed.
Criminal Justice System Interdependence
The court is part of the criminal justice system and it depends significantly to the police or investigative agencies to source evidence and after making their verdict is when the corrective services department takes the responsibility of handling those convicted for the crimes they committed. A person’s initial contact with the criminal justice system is probably with the police. They can be found anywhere, from busy downtown areas to quiet neighborhoods and recreational hotspots, with a mission to uphold the law. The police rely heavily on their discretion in making decisions and hence will not necessarily make an arrest for every crime they witness. The criminal justice system relies on a few of critical stakeholders, all of whom must have good working relationships with the system to function properly. Mayors, lawmakers, the media, and even voters all play a role in deciding how resources are allocated. There is a sequence of steps that must be completed before a verdict can be reached in the criminal court system. The police make an arrest, the prosecution presents their case, and the judge or jury hands down a sentence that defines the offender’s ultimate status. Because of the discretionary nature of the criminal justice system’s judicial process, not everyone who is arrested is necessarily tried and convicted.
It has been alleged that magistrates give cases only a cursory review before handing down a judgement, casting blame on the entire legal system. This is because most do not require suspects to disclose all relevant facts or to inform them of their rights, such as the right to be represented by an attorney before being sentenced (Hemmens et al., 2021). Magistrates have been criticized for being too reliant on predetermined rates when deciding on a bail sum. The justice system uses high bail amounts to deter offenders from committing further offenses. Even if it is unclear whether or not a person is guilty, they are often kept in jail before trial due to the prohibitive cost of bail.
The prosecutor or district attorney in a court of law is the person responsible for outlining the nature of the offense and presenting any proof of guilt to the Judge (Balkin, 2015). Supposedly, they can predict the outcome of a case in the United States well before it goes to trial. Most have a reputation for swaying jury decisions, deciding whether a case will be heard or withdrawn, and deciding whether or not to press charges. If a person is found guilty, the final stage of criminal justice is correction. The correctional institution is typically a prison. The primary function of a jail is to prevent a convicted criminal from committing more crimes by isolating them from society. Prison is not designed to be a place of comfort (Hemmens et al., 2021). From an ethical standpoint, the second reason that prisoners face severe punishment is because the harm they inflicted on their victims must be repaid in full. If no punishment is given to a murderer, for example, who feels any guilt about the crime they committed, that person may never be able to forgive themselves and may eventually commit suicide. To add a third positive aspect, incarceration might be a chance for change. Most undesirables lack the stability afforded by a steady employment or even a formal degree. Prisons often provide education and vocational training for inmates so that they have a purpose in life once they are released. In addition to jail time, an offender may be required to pay a monetary fee that is distributed to crime victims or the government (Hemmens et al., 2021). In the event of a violation of the terms of probation or home arrest, offenders face incarceration, whether they are a minor or an adult.
In conclusion, from the court usher all the way up to the highest authority, the judge, courts have a certain layout that enables the smooth conduct of all case processes. Every step of the process is coordinated so that everyone plays their part correctly. The interdependence makes the criminal justice system functional and credible when every sector plays its mandate within the law’s provisions.
References
Balkin, K. J. (2015). The accountant-client privilege in multidistrict litigation: An efficient federal common law solution. University of Maine Law Review, 69 (833), 833-860.
Ely, A. (2016). American Justice: Prosecutorial Discretion in the United States Criminal Justice System, 21(03), 831-846. https://doi.org/10.5020/2317-2150.2016.v21n3p831
Hemmens, C., Dalton, C., & Dollar, C. (2021). Recent Legal Developments: Criminal Justice Decisions of the United States Supreme Court, 2020 Term. Criminal Justice Review, 47(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/07340168211059518
Keane, A. & McKeown. (2014). The modern law of evidence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Testa, A., & Lee, J. (2021). Drug overdose death rates and criminal sentencing of federal drug offenders in the United States. Journal of Criminal Justice, 74, 101798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2021.101798
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