Tomas Gonzalez,
University of Phoenix CJA/304
February 26, 2013
Oscar N. Ruiz
Police Report
There are various types of communication used through the criminal justice process, considering the witness, prosecution, judge, and defense they all have their own element of communication to get their message across effectively and to prove their point.
Communication for Prosecution and Defense
The type of communication used by the prosecution or defense is typically more formal than informal and consists mainly of verbal communication. Non-verbal communication becomes more prevalent when arguing points in front of a jury. The prosecution may offer a deal or plea bargain to the defense in an effort to avoid the expense and time involved with a trial. If a deal is not offered or reached, it is likely that the case will go to trial. At trial, the judge governs the communication by either the prosecution or the defense. Each party may object to something said by the other and the judge will rule on if the information is acceptable. The two parties will argue their case to the jury and in doing say may make use of non-verbal communication to try and sway the jury. I like to view it as the difference between an actor acting as though they have tripped (verbal communication) and someone such as Jerry Lewis or Jim Carey using their physical humor to exaggerate or enhance the trip (non-verbal communication).
Communication for the Witness and Judge
The Judge uses both oral and written forms of communication, written forms usually go to the juries which include instructional sheets on how to be a proper juror and written paper work between both prosecution and defense attorney which can be anything from a warrant to a bail amount. A judge also listens to the oral statements during the case to ensure the case is handled proper and asks questions or controls the prosecution or defense when needed. A judge may also give instructions to the jury
References: Rights of the Accused Minnesota v. Ronald Rif: A Criminal Mock Trial. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sharepdf.net/view/59954/minnesota-v-ronald-riff-a-criminal-mock-trial Wallace, H. & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.