The Criminal Trial
This legal process helps reduce court backlogs and allows prosecutors to manage their workload by avoiding lengthy trials.
What is plea bargaining?
These five purposes justify why societies punish offenders.
What are retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and restoration?
This is the most common form of punishment in the United States, allowing offenders to remain in the community under supervision instead of serving time in prison.
What is probation?
This type of offense applies only to minors and includes behaviors like truancy, running away from home, or underage drinking—acts that would not be crimes for adults.
What is a status offense?
This unwritten set of rules among prisoners emphasizes loyalty to other inmates, distrust of staff, and the idea of “doing your own time.”
What is the inmate code?
This term refers to the process of questioning and selecting jurors from a pool to serve in a trial.
What is voir dire?
This term refers to a circumstance that can reduce the severity of a sentence, such as when an offender acted under extreme emotional distress.
What is a mitigating circumstance? An example is committing a crime due to provocation or mental illness?
These are the basic requirements most offenders must follow while on probation, such as reporting to an officer, staying employed, and avoiding new crimes.
: What are standard conditions of probation? Examples include reporting regularly to a probation officer, maintaining employment, and not committing additional offenses?
15-year-old Jordan was arrested for burglary, an act that would be considered a crime if committed by an adult. Under juvenile law, Jordan is classified as what type of youth?
What is a delinquent youth?
After serving a 5-year prison sentence, Sam is released but struggles to find a job because of his criminal record. He also has difficulty securing housing and reconnecting with family. These obstacles are examples of what common problem faced by former inmates?
What are reentry issues?
In this type of trial, the judge decides the verdict instead of a group of citizens, unlike its counterpart where jurors make the decision.
What is the difference between a bench trial and a jury trial? A bench trial is decided by a judge, while a jury trial is decided by a jury.
This type of sentence requires judges to impose a fixed minimum punishment for certain crimes, regardless of circumstances. For example, federal law often requires at least 5 years in prison for certain drug offenses.
What is a mandatory minimum sentence?
Maria was convicted of DUI and placed on probation. In addition to reporting to her probation officer, she must attend weekly alcohol treatment sessions and complete a defensive driving course. These requirements are an example of what type of probation conditions?
What are specific or treatment conditions of probation?
Unlike adult criminal cases, these cases often emphasize rehabilitation over punishment, use different terminology like “adjudication” instead of “trial,” and typically do not involve juries.
What is juvenile case processing?
Taylor was convicted of a nonviolent property crime and sentenced to serve time in a facility with dorm-style housing, limited security, and opportunities for work release programs. What type of correctional facility is Taylor in?
What is a minimum-security (or low-level) correctional facility?
This hearing occurs before a trial to determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed.
What is the purpose of a preliminary hearing? To decide if there is probable cause to move forward with the trial.
This term refers to a circumstance that can increase the severity of a sentence, such as when a crime was committed with extreme cruelty or against a vulnerable victim.
What is an aggravating circumstance? An example is using excessive violence during the commission of a crime?
This form of punishment requires offenders to compensate victims for losses or damages caused by the crime, such as paying for stolen property or medical bills.
What is restitution?
: In the juvenile justice system, the term “adjudication” is used instead of this word commonly used in adult criminal cases.
What is “trial”?
While serving a sentence, Chris requests access to a Bible and the ability to attend weekly religious services. The prison must accommodate this request under constitutional protections. What right is Chris exercising?
What is the right to freedom of religion?
In a criminal trial, this is the standard that must be met, and it is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove it.
What is “beyond a reasonable doubt” and “the prosecution”?
John has been convicted of multiple armed robberies over the past five years. Despite previous prison sentences and probation, he continues to commit violent crimes. During his latest arrest, he threatened to harm witnesses. The judge determines that John poses a serious ongoing threat to public safety and decides to impose a lengthy prison sentence to prevent him from committing further crimes.
This is an example of incapacitation—removing the offender from society to eliminate their ability to commit additional offenses.
Alex was arrested for possession of illegal drugs. Instead of going to prison, the judge orders him to participate in a specialized program that combines treatment and regular court check-ins to help him overcome addiction. What type of court is Alex participating in?
What is a drug court?
These landmark cases—Kent v. United States (1966), In re Gault (1967), and In re Winship (1970)—expanded due process protections for juveniles, including the right to counsel and the standard of proof. What area of law do these cases address?
What are juvenile due process rights?
In this top-ranked CCBC course, students examine the justice system with the precision of a CSI team-dusting off the roles of police, courts, and corrections to uncover how the whole operation really works. It's considered the ultimate "first case" for every future criminal justice investigator.
What is Introduction to Criminal Justice.