Role of Different Personnel in the Criminal and Justice System

In a judicial system, there is many personnel involved. Each of them is involved to ensure justice is served to the people they represent. The defense attorney is mandated to provide substantial evidence to help exonerate his or her client. The evidence is based on the versions presented by the defendant. The defense attorney presents arguments in a court of law hoping that the evidence produced will bring out the best outcome. Before proceeding with the defense, it is the responsibility of the attorney to develop a strategy. The defense attorney must consider how people view the crime committed in society.

Also, the attitude of the community towards the defendant is essential. He or she must consider the evidence provided by the prosecution. Ethical issues are an important factor in every institution. Consequently, defense attorneys must follow the ethical rule laid down in the judicial system. He or she is expected not to lie under the oath. Also, the attorney is expected to cross-examine the prosecution even if their client is guilty (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020). When the defense attorneys play their role properly, it is the work of the prosecution to justify their case.

A prosecutor is regarded as the strongest person in any judicial system. Prosecutors play a crucial role in deciding who should be charged in a court of law. They are responsible for determining the type of crime the defendant will be prosecuted against. Also, it is the work of the prosecutors to determine if they will drop the accusations or not (Sandoval, 2020). In cases where the verdict is a death sentence, the prosecutor has the mandate to decide who will live or die depending on the decision made by the court. A prosecutor is also involved in plea bargaining. They persuade the defense to confess in return for a more lenient sentence (Sandoval, 2020). An ethical issue that the prosecutor should consider is evidence is well kept and the same provided to the defense counsel. The prosecutors are required to memorize the disclosed information concerning their case (Sandoval, 2020). Given that prosecutors are powerful people in the judicial system, they ought to follow the ethical rules outlined for them.

During the 1800s criminal investigations were mainly involving the police. Since then, police have always been involved in criminal investigations. Police roles have drastically increased over time. Police have the responsibility of conducting patrols to ensure there are no crimes. They are also expected to conduct proactive policing to maintain law and order. It is the responsibility of the police to carry out special operations to deal with crimes such as drug trafficking. However, the police are faced with several ethical challenges. For instance, when they are on patrol they come into contact with the public. The public develops an attitude towards the police which is against their ethical obligations. While the work of the police is to reduce crime by use of patrol techniques, research shows that police patrols do not reduce criminal acts guilty (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020). Nevertheless, the police play a crucial role in the criminal judicial system.

Judges have roles throughout the whole judicial process. Judges have the responsibility of determining whether a suspect is going to be issued with a warrant of arrest. The judge set the bail amount that the suspect will be granted. A judge is mandated to determine the pretrial sessions, receive pleas, and rule out the cases before him. During the judicial process, the judge is expected to adhere to a set of ethical considerations. He or she is must preserve the public’s interest. Moreover, a judge is mandated to protect and respect the rights of the defendant. The legislature’s role in the criminal justice system is to classify crimes, determine sentences for specific crimes, and provide financial resources to the agencies involved (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020). Wood (n.d.) indicates that the legislature has ethical issues that are at times a dilemma to the staff. For instance, one may be forced to make laws that he or she opposes. Given that they make laws for the judicial system, the staffers are likely to receive bribes to favor others. These activities lead to a compromise of the cultural values in the legislature.

Corrections involve a group of agencies that perform correctional functions. These agencies include; jails, probation and prisons. Jails act as places for short sentences. Prisons involve crimes with long and complicated sentences. A probation sentence allows the accused to live within the community. Correction also includes clerks who collect fines and supervisors of the offenders. The correctional bureau ensures the offenders are punished and rehabilitated to achieve the community’s safety. Ethical issues exist in correctional facilities (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020). According to Azemi (2019), it is the responsibility of the administrators in the correctional facilities to implement laws without abuse of the offenders. Administrators in correctional facilities should not participate in any form of corruption and other illegal activities such as selling drugs to inmates. Also, they should not accept any form of gifts from the offenders. Administrators doing any of these activities are said to be violating ethical issues.

 

 

References

Azemi, F. (2019). Ethical and social justice issues. Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues. 22(4), Retrieved 15 December 2020 from: https://www.abacademies.org/articles/ethical-and-social-justice-issues-the-case-of-correctional-institutions-8559.html

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (2020). Criminal justice. Retrieved 15 December 2020 from: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/criminal-justice/criminal-courts/judges

Sandoval, J. L. (2020). Ethical considerations for prosecutors. St. Mary’s Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics, 10(1), Retrieved 15 December 2020 from: https://commons.stmarytx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=lmej

Wood, N. O. (n.d.). The culture of a legislature is affected by lawmakers, staff, lobbyists, ethics, laws and commissions. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/creating-an-ethical-legislature.aspx