List the stages of case processing that characterize the American system of criminal justice, and describe each stage
What will be an ideal response?
a. Investigation, arrest, and booking. The process generally begins with the investigation of a crime. A witness or victim might report a crime, a patrol officer may discover a crime, or police officers might use undercover operations to discover crime. An arrest involves taking a person into custody. Booking involves taking pictures and fingerprints and recording personal information.
b. First appearance, preliminary hearing, information or indictment, and arraignment. At the first appearance, the judge tells suspects of the charges, will advise them of their rights, and will decide bail. The purpose of the preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to continue the criminal justice process. In some states, the prosecutor may seek to continue the case by filing an information with the court; other states require an indictment be returned by a grand jury before prosecution may proceed. At the arraignment, the suspect hears the charges and is asked to enter a plea.
c. Adjudication. Cases are resolved by either plea bargaining or trial. Cases that go to trial are governed by the rules of evidence, procedural law, and precedent. Trials are best thought of as a contest between prosecuting and defense attorneys.
d. Sentencing. Once a person pleads guilty or is convicted at trial, the judge must impose a sentence. Judges have a wide range of sentences available to them, but their discretion is limited by statute and guidelines. Defendants do have the right to appeal.
e. Corrections and Reentry. Corrections begin after a sentence is imposed. Among the options available to judges are prison and probation.
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In states with good-time provisions of 15 days for every 30 days served, the statutory amount of time that must be served by an inmate sentenced to 20 years in prison is:
A) 15 years. B) 1 year. C) 10 years. D) 20 years.
______ is the process of simply removing the offender from society so that they cannot cause further harm to the public.
A. Retribution B. Incapacitation C. Deterrence D. Punishment
The right to the ________ was made binding on the states in Washington v. Texas, a case in which the Supreme Court stated this protects the "right to offer the testimony of witnesses, and to compel their attendance."
A) Plea insanity B) Confrontation C) Compulsory process D) Represent oneself at trial
In extending the crime of bribery to embrace conduct by persons other than public officials, several states have enacted statutes ______________________________
a. declaring certain corrupt business practices to be commercial bribery b. making it an offense to offer anything of value to an amateur or professional athlete to vary his or her performance in a game c. making it an offense for a participant or an official in a sports event to accept a bribe d. All of these