Victims Role In The Criminal Justice System

Abstract In 1982, President Ronald Reagan created the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime in order to address the needs of millions of Americans and their families who were victims of crime every year. The task force goal was to review the policies and programs that affected crime victims and then advise the president along with the Attorney General of any actions that was needed in order to improve efforts in assisting and protecting victims. The findings showed a lack of compensation and services for crime victims including a large imbalance between a defendant’s rights and those of the victim. As a result, the task force made many recommendations to both the President and Attorney General (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015). Courts

In 1976 Nova was formed and it is the oldest national victim assistance organization and is largely well known within the U.S. This organization is a private, charitable and non- profit organization. Its main function is to have compassion with the victims and be respectful to one another. The Victims’ Rights fought hard to get these rights to become a law. One of the biggest turn around was when President Clinton spoke about it in his speech on June 25th, 1996.

The criminal justice system is comprised of a myriad of steps for the purpose of bringing those responsible for committing crimes to justice. There are three primary categories which make up the criminal justice system. The first category is the “Police”, who are responsible for determining the type and magnitude of the potential crime and if it did indeed occur. They will begin by investigating to determine who is involved in the crime. Once the investigation reveals the identity of the perpetrator(s) then they will seek out those responsible for the purpose of arresting them for the crimes they are accused of committing.

One of the best rights granted to the individuals in America is the privilege to be viewed as honest until demonstrated blameworthy in the court of law. It is the job of the prosecutor to demonstrate to the on lookers, to the jury, and to the court that the blamed is liable for a wrongdoing. In the event that the prosecutor has a substantial case, the blamed, either on his or her own or joined by an experienced lawyer, can display different defenses to contend why they acted in the manner in which they did. Schmalleger (2010, p. 114) states, “A defense consists of evidence and arguments offered by a defendant and his or her attorney(s) to show why that person should not be held liable for a criminal charge”. In the framework of the Criminal

‘Are Juries the "Fairest” of Them All?’ 1. INTRODUCTION In the journal titled “Law, Fact or Justice?” written by Professor Zuckerman, he has suggested the notion that “trust in the jury is secured by the fact that it applies standards of adjudication which are both generally familiar and widely accepted” . His reasoning was based on the fact that because juries command trust in the community, therefore, they are in the position to administer adjudication on the merits.

Police and prosecutors have very crucial roles in the criminal justice field. Although their duties and job descriptions vary tremendously, they are both very important in the deliverance of justice, and they are held to high ethical standards. Police officers are responsible for apprehending and detaining offenders, and prosecutors present to the court a written statement of the charges and match the wits of the accused’s defense attorney. Both police officers and prosecutors have many ethical obligations to abide by. They must both be impartial, honest, reasonable, and professional.

The judiciary is an independent arm of the government that ought to operate without influence or threats from the government or any other organization. The independence of the judiciary ensures it executes legal matters without bias and within the jurisdiction of the law. In England, sources of law include “legislation, common law, and European Union law” (Judiciary.gov.uk, 2016 n.d). Juries play significant roles in ensuring fair trials within the legal framework of the country’s constitution. Juries became an integral part of the judicial system as early as 1215 the same year that Magna Carta acknowledged the right to free trial through judgment by peers.

The family is not familiar with the legal system and its processes, but cannot afford to hire an attorney. The warranty corporation has their own team of lawyers to appear on their behalf. They will be able to organize and present their material in a way that gives it legitimacy to a jury and/or judge. The family might have a legitimate claim but do not understand or know to include information that could potentially when their case. This error can lead to a negative outcome for the family who might have won if they had access to a lawyer.

Victims in the criminal justice system had few legal rights to be heard, present and informed about thirty years ago. Victims were not required to be notified of the release or arrest of the defendant and had no right to make a statement at sentencing's or other court hearings. Without these rights, victim assistance programs would not have a purpose and therefore did not exist. Fortunately, in the recent years, there have been incredible advances in the development of legal rights and assistance programs for victims of crime.

With crucial factors determining the success and/or failures of the death penalty, we certainly take note to the exonerations of convicted persons, especially those who were exonerated after being executed. There are currently 2,147 people who were sentenced to death that have been exonerated, totaling more than 18,750 years lost. It is hard to understand how an innocent person stood so close to being murdered, nevertheless it’s even harder to understand how an innocent person, in fact, was murdered. Cathleen Burnett an associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, having seen the death penalty process unfold along with the increasing number of exonerated individuals examined the language