Criminal_Justice_System

Abstract When referencing Schmallenger, he explains that a crime is when an individual or group of individuals violates the set of laws set forth by the local, state, or national bodies of government (Schmalleger, 2008). So basically a crime is breaking the law whether or not a person is caught does not matter. Criminal Justice System The law is a very complex system if one is not educated about it. There are misdemeanors, these are minor crimes commented by someone. Examples of this would be some traffic infractions, theft of property that is lower than a certain amount, trespassing, disorderly conduct, possession of certain controlled substances under a certain weight (CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL LAW LAWYERS NATIONWIDE, 2003-2011). Slightly greater crimes then misdemeanors would be gross misdemeanors. Another type of crime would be a felony. There is more than one category of felonies; these include those crimes that are nonviolent and crimes that are violent. The nonviolent crimes generally carry less of a sentence then a violent crime. Examples of nonviolent felonies would be white collar crimes are found in the business would, usually because the criminal is looking for a quick way to make more money. Examples of white collar felonies are taking bribe, accepting kickbacks, avoiding paying taxes, identity theft, and fraud (CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL LAW LAWYERS NATIONWIDE, 2003-2011). You most often hear of these crimes when dealing with big corporations, where large amounts of money are to be made quickly. The “quick rich quick” quote comes to mind while researching this form of felony. Nonviolent felonies, which do not fall into the category of white collar crimes usually, have to do with crimes against a property or person. Examples of these crimes would be burglary, fraud, and forgery. Another type of burglary would be larceny which is the theft of a motor vehicle (CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL LAW LAWYERS NATIONWIDE, 2003-2011). These crimes can be personal, even done by someone close like a family member or friend. The final type of felony would be violent crimes, with intent to harm, mame, or murder another person or persons. These types of felonies would include murder or attempted murder, manslaughter, rape this includes sexual assault, aggravated assault, armed robbery and vehicular manslaughter. Vehicular manslaughter is usually a case where the driver is reckless, however there are times when it is on purpose. In the assigned reading there are three components of the justice system (Schmallenger, 2008), however in order to further understand these components it is easier to view them as five central components. These consist of law enforcement or police, the prosecution, defense attorneys, courts, and corrections (National Center for Victims of Crime, 2008). The law enforcement or police would investigate the report and follow the clues that would lead to the arrest. Once an arrest has been made and the district attorney’s office decides to precede with charges the defense and prosecution teams are working behind the scenes building a case to present to the courts. The corrections system works not only with the accused or convicted while they are incarcerated but also when they have served their time and have gone back into society. In conclusion, with a firm understanding of the law an individual whether it is the defendant, the person who is accused of committing the crime or the plaintiff, the victim of the crime, both are able to make sure they are fairly represented by the law. Many crimes go unreported every year ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. By not reporting these crimes, it allows the perpetrators to continue to break the law. This also allows the victims to go without the justice that they deserve, and also allows more victims to be affected or created.   References CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL LAW LAWYERS NATIONWIDE. (2003-2011). Types of Felony. Retrieved from http://www.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms/felony_types.html CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL LAW LAWYERS NATIONWIDE. (2003-2011). Misdemeanor. Retrieved from http://www.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms/misdemeanor.html National Center for Victims of Crime. (2008). The Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/AGP.Net/Components/documentViewer/Download.aspxnz'DocumentID=45713 Schmallenger, F. (2008). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the 21st century. Pearson College Div.