Compare and contrast the grand jury and preliminary hearing models

What will be an ideal response?


The role of the grand jury today is to act as an independent investigating body. It examines the possibility of criminal activity, issues a report called a presentment, and if probable cause exists, an indictment, or true bill, is affirmed. If no probable cause is found, a no bill is passed. The grand jury meets at the request of the prosecution, the hearings are closed and secret, and neither the defense attorney, the defendant, nor the general public is allowed to attend. As such, the process has been criticized as being a "rubber stamp" for the prosecution. The preliminary hearing is an alternative to the grand jury and takes place in about half the states. Several differences are seen in the preliminary hearing starting with the fact that it is open to the public and conducted by a magistrate or lower court judge. The defendant also has the right to waive proceeding in most states in the event that they have either decided to plead guilty, would like to speed up the criminal justice process, or are in hopes to avoid negative publicity.

Criminal Justice

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Techniques that seek a suspect?s compliance by causing temporary pain without inflicting any lasting physical injury are called compliance techniques

What will be an ideal response?

Criminal Justice

A marijuana joint (when compared with a tobacco cigarette) typically contains about the same levels of tars, __________percent more hydrocarbons, and an unknown amount of possible contaminants

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

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In most cases, the traffic stop is the only contact a citizen will have with a police officer

a. True b. False

Criminal Justice

Research by Woodworth and Porter (2002) found that psychopaths tend to engage in homicides that are ______.

A. reactive and spontaneous B. expressive and argumentative C. empathic and intimate D. instrumental and goal-driven

Criminal Justice