Explain the "wedding-cake" model of criminal justice and how this model may be used to explain the criminal justice system
What will be an ideal response?
• The top layer (level I) consists of a handful of "celebrated" cases that attract the most attention and publicity.
• The second layer (level II) consists of "high-profile" felonies such as murder, rape, or burglary. These types of felonies are considered high profile because they draw a certain amount of public attention, and thus it puts pressure on prosecutors to bring the case to trial instead of plea bargaining.
• The third layer (level III) consists of less serious or "ordinary" felonies which include less violent crimes such as burglaries, theft, or even robberies where no weapon is used. Due to the less violent nature of these crimes, they are less likely to receive the full formal process of a trial.
• The final layer (level IV) consists of misdemeanors, or less serious and petty crimes.
• The cases on the top level most resemble our ideal standards of criminal justice, and the further we move down the levels of "cake" the more informal these processes become. This gives less of an appearance of "justice" and more of an appearance of "speed.".
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Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Magistrate judges are:
A. nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. B. elected by voters in their district. C. selected by the U.S. Supreme Court. D. selected by U.S. district court judges.
Which one of the following acts would not be sufficient to convert an otherwise intentional killing of another to manslaughter?
a. A married person who discovers his or her spouse in an act of adultery with significant sexual contact taking place. b. Gross or insulting words or accusations directed against an individual. c. Death occurring to a patient as a result of criminal negligence of a medical practitioner. d. The failure of parents to provide medical attention or adequate nourishment for their children.
Which of the following is the focus of labeling theory?
A. the competition among individuals belonging to various interest groups B. the ways in which criminals are different from noncriminals C. the way people and actions are defined as criminal D. the peculiarities of the criminal actor