Different Roles in Criminal Justice System #1.

Role of state and federal courts Discuss the roles of the court systems and their objectives regarding public safety and civil rights. Understanding the role of courts Discuss the concepts of justice and security. How do these concepts become a reality in a free society based on a constitution and manifested through a complex legal system? How are these principles reflected in the federal court system, including the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court? What is the function of each of these courts and how is their role connected to public safety and civil rights. How are state court systems designed and what happens at each level? How does each level within the judicial system balance individual rights with security issues? The role of the court system is to determine whether or not a criminal defendant is guilty of committing a crime in which they have been accused. The court system is designed to give the criminal defendant an opportunity to defend themselves against any accusation made by the state. The court is designed to ensure criminal defendants are punished for the crimes they commit but not convicted for a crime they did not commit (Barnett, 2011). The court system is designed to ensure guilty offenders are removed from society in order to improve public safety and secure dangerous threats. In a free society the rights of the people and the remedies designed to protect these rights are necessary to secure the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution. In order to protect the concept of a free society the rights of the people are protected above all. This is reflected in the federal court

system through the necessity of having a grand jury and the ability of the criminal defendant to appeal and guilty verdicts. The U.S. District Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court act as a checks and balance on the actions of the district court. The courts review the cases to ensure there are n mistakes or constitutional violations. Barnett, R. (2011). Pursuing Justice in a Free Society: Part Two-crime Prevention and the Legal Order. Retrieved June 29, 2013 from http://www.bu.edu/rbarnett/5crimjust30.html

#2.Law Enforcement Role Describe the objectives of law enforcement organizations and contrast public safety and individual rights issues. Objectives of Law Enforcement and Corrections Law enforcement organizations have a variety of objectives that in principle must support the structure and functions of a free society based on constitutional mandates regarding individual protections and rights. Those objectives must strike a meaningful balance between public safety and civil rights if the underlying principles of a constitutional democracy are to be upheld. Discuss the following: Identify the objectives of federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Identify the objectives of federal and state probation, parole, and correctional organizations. Identify the objectives of the juvenile justice system and describe its relationship with other agencies. Law enforcement officers are public officials responsible for keeping society safe and identifying and arresting criminal suspects in society. Law enforcement has a duty to uphold the law and act ethically but they also have an obligation to protect the civil liberties of criminal suspects in society. Police cannot search or seize the private property

of citizen and they cannot use excessive force when dealing with criminal suspects. If police violate the civil liberties of the citizen the end result could be any evidence obtained is excluded from the court process or the police officer and there department could be sued. Police officer must apply discretion when going about their duties but this discretion cannot exceed their obligation to protect the due process rights of the citizen. Federal, state, and, local law enforcement all have the same objective which is to guard the public, identify and investigate criminal offenders, and to make arrests. Local police have jurisdiction over a specific area such as a city or county while state police have jurisdiction over the entire state. The juvenile justice system is designed to rehabilitate juveniles and not punishment them as in the adult criminal justice system. The police have the discretion to take the juvenile home or to take them to the juvenile justice system where they will then come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. #3.The rights of offenders Balancing the rights of offenders Consider this statement: It is necessary for the rights of offenders to be considered and protected to a significant degree if the principles of a free, constitutional democracy are to be upheld. Indicate whether you agree or disagree; then, justify and defend your position. In a democratic society the goal is to ensure the people have a voice and the government never comes oppressive. No matter how serious the situation or event civil liberties of the citizen should never be imposed upon by the government. For every freedom taken away by the government, the government becomes a little more oppressive. Civil liberties were so important that the constitution almost did not happen without the delegates first agreeing to the bill of rights or a list of guaranteed rights for every citizen (Curry, 2009). While state rights were important for many individual liberties were much more

important in ensuring the government could not restrict the liberties and freedoms of the citizen. When the rights of the offender are ignored then justice has also been ignored. It is unfortunate that guilty offenders have to go free in order for criminal justice professionals to obey the law but if there are no checks and balances in place what is to stop the police from beating a suspect in order to get them to confess or a judge showing bias to minority offenders. The right of the offender must be protected in order to ensure justice is served and the people are never forced to live in an oppressive society. Curry, L. (2009).The Government's Duty to Protect the Lives of its Citizens under the Due Process Clause. Retrieved June 29, 2013 from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/stateactionprotect.html