On June 9, 2008, Travis Alexander’s body was discovered in a shower in his home in Mesa, Arizona. Alexander was found to have died from 27-29 stab wounds, along with his throat being slit and a gunshot wound to the head. Alexander’s ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias, was the prime suspect after investigators discovered they had several arguments leading up to his death and certain pieces of evidence placed her at the scene of the crime.
There are a number of reasons that someone may need the help of a criminal defense lawyer. A good one is not cheap, but a conviction on your record can cost you over and over for the rest of your life. First of all are the very real possibilities of large fines and time behind bars. However, even misdemeanor convictions can keep you from getting a good job. Although many potential employers will tell you that they will only check back through 7 years of your criminal history, that is largely a myth. When a criminal history report is generated your ENTIRE criminal history will be visible. Whether an employer admits it or not, your history will influence your chances of being hired no matter how far back the charges or convictions may have occurred. Many
“I’m taking this all the way to the Supreme Court!” In the United States if a defendant feels as though they did not receive a fair trial the court system allows the offended to appeal to a higher court. Likewise, if the next court’s decision is unsatisfactory the defendant can continue to appeal to higher courts until they reach the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. However, the Supreme Court is a vastly different courtroom than a trial court. The case of Gideon v. Wainwright highlights the differences between the Supreme Court and Trial Courts.
A defense attorney represents the accused from arrest to final appeal. An individual accused of a crime has a constitutional right to counsel during every stage in the criminal process. Defense attorneys represent their clients before trial starting from arrest and through interrogation, lineup, and arraignment. They may negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor to avert a trial or defend their client at trial. Defense attorneys provide assistance at sentencing and appeal if the accused is convicted.
Grand Jury plays an important role in the criminal process, but it does not involve finding
I have chosen to compare Michigan?s judicial system with ours for this assignment. Missouri?s judicial system consists of three levels, the Circuit Court (trial court) which is the lowest level of the system, then the intermediate appellate courts which is known as the Court of Appeals and then the highest level of our judicial system, the Missouri Supreme Court, or the ?court of last resort.?
The role of the criminal prosecutor is to prove that that defendant is truly guilty. It is there job to look at all the evidence that is available and use that evidence to show why it is true that that person committed the crime so that they are prosecuted the way that they need to be. The job of the criminal defense attorney is to look at all the evidence that the prosecutor is bringing forth and to show why that evidence is not reliable or does not have any proof that it is linked to the person being accused of the crimes. It is their job to try to keep the accused person from being sentenced. The judicial officer is the person wills all the power to decide what happens to the person being accused. They are the ones that the information
“the right to a speedy and public, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.”
The main parts of a criminal justice system can best be described as a discretionary model, because so many steps are taken from the stages of committing a crime to being prosecuted and possibly release from correctional institutions in the future. Each one of these steps have a serious deciding elements in them that play a role in the prosecution of a criminal. As stated in the text book “no two cases are alike, and no two defendants are alike,” (Barkan, 17). Because of the uniqueness of each case and the people involved in it a system must be put in place to insure that at every stage of the criminal justice system there is a set of questions and decisions that are being made effectively and properly. This insures both fairness and structure to what is
The sixth amendment defines the right to a speedy trail. In Section I of the amendment states “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” (Hendrix, 2013, p. 91). The state government cannot kill, imprison, or seize personal property without a fair trial. An individual is innocent until proven guilty, the Bible states “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him, to find out what he has been doing?” (John 7:51). The accused is charged and represented by a defense attorney who is responsible for advising the accused on what course of action to take. The accused
When two parties go to court they receive justice, the role of the court is to dispense justice fairly to everyone.
John Smith was arrested for burglary and possession of a narcotic drug. There are several things that will occur in the first hour or so of John Smiths arrest. However, the process from arrest to arraignment and furthermore from John Smiths trail to incarceration then eventually his release to parole or probation is complex and interlocking.
Clarence E. Gideon fought for the right for everyone, no matter the special circumstances, to have legal representation in court. This was Gideon’s promise. However, his promise is lost in transition. Although people are now receiving the legal counsel they needed, the quality of the legal counsel is not what they deserve. These counsel are sometimes unfit for the trials they are given causing unfair and often wrongful decisions. There should now be a call for state to regulate how counsel is assigned and the quality of these counsel. There are stories of wrongfully convicted citizens all over the United States. One of such story is that of Troy Lee Jones and how he had received bad counsel, which led him to a death sentence. This should be
The title of Chapter 2 is "Criminal Courts, Pretrial Processes, and the Exclusionary Rule." The chapter begins with a description of the structure of the U.S. court system, which is a dual court system. A dual court system means that there are both federal- and state-level courts who operate within their own jurisdictions. The United States District Court is the trial court for the federal system. There are ninety-four district courts in the U.S., with each state having at least one. The United States Circuit Court of Appeals are appellate courts that review decisions made in the district courts. There are thirteen circuit courts located in the U.S. The highest court at the federal level is the Supreme Court, who has the final say in all decisions of law. Each state's court system varies but is usually structured into courts of limited jurisdiction and higher courts of general jurisdiction.
1. A court proceeding where a person who is charged with committing a crime against the state is brought to trial to be found either guilty or not guilty. Del Mason was brought into court on the suspicion that he had robbed a bank, which would be a crime against the state.