You will learn that there are a number of sources that will make you understand criminal justice. These sources will often give you a snippet of what criminal law is all about. However, it is certain that you will not capture all the essentials of this law. There are various factors that you will need to understand. Such will time and again consist of the following.
Criminal law springs into existence after the society opts to outlaw a number of actions. These actions will often attract different magnitudes. It is often believed that such laws will come in to stop these actions since they are considered dangerous for the citizens. This is to say that they can wipe away the whole society in the long run. The arrested individual will be expected to go to jail or pay a given fine. This will time and again be as per the situation. You will however realize that this punishment will only be viable once a guilty verdict has been upheld. These criminal laws are often formulated by the state, federal as well as local government legilatures. The criminal justice system is basically the entire justice apparatus from the start to the end. This system does feature the police, attorneys, judges and probation officers. There are various rights that citizens will be guaranteed during this period. This will often ensure that you are protected from undeserved prosecution. These rights seek to maintain a balance between government interests and your freedom.
It is valuable for you to be familiarized with how criminal cases go about. You will realize that criminal justice will in most cases end up in different ways. Different aspects dictate how this unfolding goes. This will more than often include how severe the crime is and the evidence gathered. The strategy of the prosecution will also be important. There are various ways that this case will end. You will note that the case can even end up without any arrest. You will also learn that a plea can be considered. There is still a chance for this case to face dismissal. This is mostly after gaining evidence illegally. You will also come to learn of the compoundable offence. This involves the prosecutor dropping a case so as to gain something else.
Criminal charges can come as felonies or misdemeanor. Misdemeanors are often characterized by a penalty of less than a year in jail. Felonies tend to be more serious. This means that you will spend more than a year in jail. You will actually find that you might never go back to your normal life.
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