Court System Paper
AJS 502
January 28, 2013
Instructor: Kevin Moore
Court Systems As the gavel sounds there is silence in the courtroom. The Judge has made his final decision, and the outcome is life without the possibility of parole. The courtroom is filled with mixed emotions and the prosecution and family have a sense of justice, although the family of the perpetrator feels anguish. Criminal court is perceived as the place of justice where criminals are punished and the victims get closure. This is a simplistic view of how the criminal justice system works; in reality the process is more complicated. Criminal court is defined as the place where offenders, those who have violated public laws, are tried before the judge and possibly a jury, receiving punishment. Crimes are either felonies or misdemeanors. Felonies are the crimes most often presented to society; murder, armed robbery, and terrorist acts. These violations are punishable by one year or more in prison or jail with fines, or both. In some cases like murder the perpetrator is given capital punishment or life incarceration. Misdemeanor offenses are also included with the felonies sentences, another piece of information not readily known by the public (The Superior Court of California County of Riverside, 2012). Misdemeanors are considered to be minor crimes and can include an infraction charge, unlike felonies. Misdemeanor charges do not include any felony charges, if the misdemeanor were committed first. The incarceration time for perpetrators is no more than six months, and the fines cannot exceed $1000. Vandalism is a crime in this category most of the time committed by minors. Because of the age of the offenders prison or jail is not typically recommended; however, juvenile detention is definitely used. A criminal action is prosecuted in the name of the people of the State of California, as a party, against the person charged with the offense (The Superior Court of California
January 28, 2013
Instructor: Kevin Moore
Court Systems As the gavel sounds there is silence in the courtroom. The Judge has made his final decision, and the outcome is life without the possibility of parole. The courtroom is filled with mixed emotions and the prosecution and family have a sense of justice, although the family of the perpetrator feels anguish. Criminal court is perceived as the place of justice where criminals are punished and the victims get closure. This is a simplistic view of how the criminal justice system works; in reality the process is more complicated. Criminal court is defined as the place where offenders, those who have violated public laws, are tried before the judge and possibly a jury, receiving punishment. Crimes are either felonies or misdemeanors. Felonies are the crimes most often presented to society; murder, armed robbery, and terrorist acts. These violations are punishable by one year or more in prison or jail with fines, or both. In some cases like murder the perpetrator is given capital punishment or life incarceration. Misdemeanor offenses are also included with the felonies sentences, another piece of information not readily known by the public (The Superior Court of California County of Riverside, 2012). Misdemeanors are considered to be minor crimes and can include an infraction charge, unlike felonies. Misdemeanor charges do not include any felony charges, if the misdemeanor were committed first. The incarceration time for perpetrators is no more than six months, and the fines cannot exceed $1000. Vandalism is a crime in this category most of the time committed by minors. Because of the age of the offenders prison or jail is not typically recommended; however, juvenile detention is definitely used. A criminal action is prosecuted in the name of the people of the State of California, as a party, against the person charged with the offense (The Superior Court of California
References: Federal Judicial Center. (n.d.). Federal Courts and What They Do. Retrieved from http://www.fjc.gov/public/pdf.nsf/lookup/FCtsWhat.pdf/$file/FCtsWhat.pdf Martinez, M. (2012). Rockefeller impersonator pleads not guilty in California murder case. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-09/justice/justice_california-gerhartsreiter-rockefeller_1_jared-moses-john-sohus-clark-rockefeller?_s=PM:JUSTICE Shouse Law Group. (2012). California 's Criminal Court Process. Retrieved from http://www.shouselaw.com/criminal-court-process.html The Superior Court Of California County Of Riverside. (2012). Criminal. Retrieved from http://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/criminal/criminal.shtml