Essay On Judicial Corruption

For far too many years judicial corruption has been a problem in our society, but how do we explain the difference between moral and unethical corruption? Within our police system in America, there are gaps and loopholes that give leeway to police officers and individuals in the judicial system, which either abuse their authority or not a great representation of the ethical standards that they are expected to enforce. Because of the nature of police officers, there is a potential for deterioration of these ethical and moral standards through defiance, misconduct, corruption, and favoritism. Although these standards are set in place, many law enforcement officials aren't held accountable for their actions and this has created a distrust in
the communities.
Corruption in the judicial system sabotages democracy and human rights as well as decreases the rate of economic growth and human development. The judicial system is the foundation of democracy: the enforcer and interpreter of the law passed by legislation and implemented by the executive. It is also the referee for disputes between parties. If a justice system is corrupt in any way shape or form or exposed, their corrupt and illegal acts have the tendency to go unpunished. Public confidence in the judicial administration has been washed away as judicial corruption plagues almost if not all sectors of government and society. Human rights are violated and we as citizens are not afforded the rights of equal access to the courts, nor do the courts treat them equally.
The judicial system is in the service of those in power, with the deepest pockets rather than in service to the rule of law or the people they are sworn to protect. Because judicial corruption is so well hidden, with new things being invented almost daily, it’s extremely hard to define.
In the most general way corruption is the moral perversion of integrity; the misuse of entrusted power for private gain. In reference to judicial corruption it can be defined as the use of public authority for the private benefit against individuals, as a result of improper and unfair decisions. Such as bribery, extortion, intimidation, influence and abuse of any judicial power. Such benefits are often depicted in media outlets like video games and movies. Where the “bad guy” is shown favor by police officers and court officials because they pay them large amounts of money to look the other
way. Judicial corruption affects everyone, but more so the most vulnerable and deprived citizens in countries around the world including America. “Poverty invites corruption, while corruption deepens poverty”. (Johnston 2009) The burden of corruption almost always falls on the shoulders of the poor people. The people without money and connections, corruption in police services and other judicial avenues can have wearying consequences. The consequences can be as simple as having felony charges brought up against you for a misdemeanor because you can’t pay the officer fee. Victimization is another way the deprived community is affected by corruption. Having an officer stop and frisk you because of racial profiling, or an officer outright stealing by using their badge to access certain areas after closing times to help themselves to certain things to keep other illegal activity unbothered. Having a corrupt judge sentence you to life to protect him from being exposed. Any act of corruption, from citizens witnessing people with wealth and power walk away clean, reduces and confidence people may have had in the fairness, integrity and honesty of the judicial system. Public relations decrease drastically between everyday citizens and the police officers in the community. It reduces the effectiveness of proper policing in the community; community members are failing to cooperate with law enforcement. Many officers fail to realize that the only way to rebuild trust and create better community relations they must show that they have integrity. When citizens lose faith in the integrity of officers the cooperation the Justice system once received is obsolete. The mindset us vs. them take over.
With a better understanding of the effects of judicial corruption gives everyone a clearer motivation for combatting the issue.
Something as small as simply addressing the problem and admitting there is one. The corrupt acts have the most impact on the entire justice system. Judges and prosecutors develop negative opinions of officers and officers reciprocate. A way to aid corruption is for all agencies to reform policing and redefine the justice system. By making these small changes shows an effort to protect the rights of all humans, which can change the relationships between government agencies, police departments and civilians. Just be
honest!