Preview

Witnesses In Criminal Justice Research Paper

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
169 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Witnesses In Criminal Justice Research Paper
A witness plays an important role in the criminal justice system. Statement of witnesses becomes part of the evidence in a criminal trial. Evidence is essential in criminal proceedings the guilt or the innocence of the accused. Hence, testimony of the witness is a very important part of the criminal proceedings.

Witnesses are often required to testify in court because they have the knowledge about the crime that has been committed, or because they can provide relevant information about the case or matter in dispute. Hence, a witness has the responsibility to testify in court to ensure that all facts in a case will be represented. This is because the testimony of the witnesses can assist the court in reaching a conclusion whether the accused

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Many eyewitnesses are called to testify because they have witnessed a crime, accident or incident. The anxiety if this may cause an affect on the reliability of their EWT.…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    witness planning sheet

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages

    If you are a defendant, obviously you are arguing that you’re innocent. If you are a witness, decide whether or not you think your respective defendant is guilty. If you think s/he is guilty, work with the prosecution. If you think s/he is innocent, work with the defense.…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In order for someone to be considered an expert witness, courts take into consideration the persons education degrees, the number of experience that the person has in this certain field, any professional organizations that the person is either a member of or if their the leader in any organizations, and if that person has publishes any books or anything they have authored.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    This process is where witnesses are called to give their statements. They are questioned and cross examined by all lawyers/attorneys. Cross examination is being questioned by each lawyer/attorney they may ask the same questions but in different words. The prosecutor is there to make the jury believe the criminal is guilty whereas the defense attorney is there to make the jury question if the criminal is really guilty. There are also three types of witnesses which are; ordinary witnesses, expert witnesses, and character witnesses. “Ordinary witnesses can testify only as to their personal observations. Expert witnesses, on the other hand, are allowed to offer their opinions in their area of expertise. Chartacter witnesses may testify only to the general good reputation of the defendant” (Zalman,…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    They have the ability to provide, compared to the other witnesses, their own opinions concerning facts of the case (Pozullo et al., 2016). Further, their role is to know not only their own testimony, but also be knowledgeable of how they fit in the court proceedings and what their presence implicates (Pozullo et al., 2016). For example, the expert witness must know what restrictions are applied to their behaviour in court (Pozullo et al., 2016). Through educating the trier of fact, these witnesses help them decide the sentence that is best suited for the accused, if said accused is found to be guilty. Expert witnesses, such as psychologists, help determine if the accused should be imprisoned (Pozullo et al., 2016).…

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    They can testify if the experts scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, if the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data, if the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and if the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case. If the witness is depending on his experience and his experience only, then they should be able to make clear on how their experience coincides with the conclusion that they have come, why that experience is good enough for their conclusion, and how that experience is reliably applied to the facts (Legal Information Institute, 1992).…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    We are also introduced to the main character's family, such as his wife Elaine, and his son Jamie. We also see what each person's role is within the family.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Treaty of Versalliers

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles was meant to ease tension over WWI but in my opinion it could have been responsible for starting WWII. I think the United States should have rejected the Treaty of Versailles, considering that the Big Four (US, Great Britain, France, Italy) had the most to gain and it created much animosity for the rest of the European nations.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The prosecution can expose whether Witness and Defendant have colluded in an effort to mislead the jury, or, conversely, can clear an innocent defendant. In sum, by granting use immunity and assuming Witness' truthfulness, 2 1 we can avoid the two flaws of convicting an innocent defendant or freeing a guilty defendant. The state of the law in this area invites several observations about evidentiary and constitutional law. Forbidding Defendant from trying to benefit from Witness' assertion of the fifth amendment is an example of the choice evidence law often makes: to exclude problematic evidence rather than to search for ways to help the jury identify and understand estimation problems. Although the import of Witness' privilege assertion is not pellucid, the court could help the jury more than it does in the typical trial by noting the inferences the jury might draw. 22 Alternatively, as this article suggests in Part V, the law might adopt a model of admissibility loosely drawn from discovery rules. Under this model, Defendant (and perhaps any party) could introduce any relevant evidence as long as he shared it with the prosecution far enough in advance of trial to enable the prosecution to investigate. Finally, we need to ask whether Defendant's sixth amendment right to compulsory process includes the right to try to profit from Witness' fifth amendment privilege assertion. Arguably, the sixth amendment topples the categorical rule that no litigant, not even the…

    • 4738 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many reports that a probation officer must give. For this particular discussion, I will focus on a presentence report. A judge relies “on presentence reports, prepared by probation officers” when they are ready to sentence an offender (Bergman, n.d.). They (the judge) use this report to help “in making sentencing decisions” (Bergman, n.d.). A well written presentence report will have the following information to help a judge in making his or her decision, “circumstances of the offense”, a “defendant’s personal history” as well as any criminal background available, and a “victim impact statement” (Bergman, n.d.). In the end, a well-written report (of any kind) will help the person making a decision to make the best one possible.…

    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Crime seems to be on a rise, from low poverty areas to the white collar vicinities. Today’s technology however, is assisting with the apprehension of criminals through the means of cameras, computers, fingerprinting and others. However, something that technology cannot help with is to identify the exact actions of individuals, nor can you duplicate what is seen by others. Eyewitnesses are so important when it comes to the criminal process. It’s vital for individuals to give accurate account of crimes witnessed. It is just as important for those that are gathering the information, or witness statements, to assess each eyewitness correctly, for that statement can put an innocent man in jail and a criminal back in the streets.…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How the witnesses gained their knowledge is important because it helps the jury or/and judge figure out the whole story. Each witness has their own perspective on what happen and provide evidence that will help the jury figure out who's guilty/liable or not. Witnesses can see what happened, but it may look like a different thing to another witness in a different angle. Moreover, some witnesses are there on the scene earlier than another so they understand more than another witness who might miss interpreting the scene due to the…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    10. Lay witnesses are people whose testimony is based on strictly what they saw, smelled, touched, or heard. Their testimony is not based in their profession or personal opinions, lay witnesses regurgitate facts as comprehended at the…

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Fred is drunk and driving his dad’s car. Fred is a 21 year old student at Columbia College. Fred rams into a parked car at 10th and Rogers. Thinking no one saw him; Fred moves his car and parks it on an adjacent lot. He sprints to his dorm room in Miller Hall. A neighbor saw the wreck and Fred running to the dorm. Police are called and they arrive ten minutes after the wreck. The officers see several empty beer cans and a bottle of tequila (half full) in the front seat. The tags are traced to Fred’s dad, who is called by police. Dad says that Fred is a student at Columbia College. Police run Fred's record and determine that he has two prior DWIs within the past five years. The third DWI in 10 years is a felony. Police contact Columbia College security who leads them to Fred’s dorm. Fred is passed out, so security lets them in. The officers smell intoxicants, give Fred some Field Sobriety tests (he fails) and confirm that he was driving the car. Fred is arrested for DWI. It is his third offense, a felony under Missouri law. Fred is given a breath test, which registers at .13 on the scale. During the processing of his arrest paperwork, the officers search Fred’s possessions which he brought to the station, and a small quantity of cocaine is found in Fred’s pocket. Fred is charged with DWI, leaving the scene, and possession of cocaine. What issues do you see? How should they be resolved? (50 points)…

    • 6313 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Victim Witness Case

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In victim witness programs prosecutors provide victims with emotional support, information regarding the criminal justice system, and referrals to social service and legal assistance organizations in effort to promote the victim’s willingness to participate in the prosecution of cases (State of Nevada Advisory Council for Prosecuting , 2006). I will not say that victim witness programs are a waste of time and resources, however I do not think they are necessary. I do not think they are necessary because many domestic violence victims do not want to, or will not participate in prosecuting their offender. I think these types of services only benefits or serves purposes in managing victims that are truly interested in testifying and getting the justice in which they deserve. I do…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays