The "wedding cake" model is an alternative to the traditional criminal justice flowchart. Using specific examples, elaborate the "wedding cake" model and why the image of a wedding cake works for this set up. Address how society and the justice system respond to crimes committed at each level.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Samuel Walker describes the informal criminal justice process as a four-layer cake. Level I involves celebrated cases such as Jared Lee Loughner, who has been accused of shooting congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the Casey Anthony murder trial and her acquittal. Level II involves serious felonies that include rape and robbery, including repeat offenders. Level III involves less serious felonies, offenses committed by young or first-time offenders, or involves offenders known to one another such as domestic violence. Level IV involves misdemeanors such as shoplifting, public drunkenness, minor assault. Examples will vary by student. The image of a wedding cake works because Level IV is the largest layer, and the amount of misdemeanors is the largest pool of cases. As you move to smaller layers, you also move toward a smaller number of cases. Society responds to Level I with a great deal of attention and scrutiny, while they tend to ignore the lower levels. The criminal justice system is more likely to carry cases from Level I through the full array of formal procedures. Level IV cases are more likely to be ended with a fine and probation and defendants are less insistent on constitutional rights.