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¶ … attended a county Criminal Court proceeding to hear how a defendant would plead in the charges against him. The defendant was a white male in his early-thirties, arrested on manslaughter and DUI. The defendant entered the courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit and bound by chains on his ankles and wrists. He was accompanied by a bailiff and joined his public defender at a table. The court session was brief. The judge called the hearing to order. The prosecutor told the court that the defendant is charged with manslaughter in the death of an individual in an automobile accident. He was also being charged for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prosecutor further proceeded to explain that this was the defendant's third DUI charge, and "unfortunately resulting in the death of an individual." The judge asked how the defendant pleaded to the charges. Both he and his public defender rose. The defense attorney said, "Not guilty on both accounts, your honor." The public defender explained that while the accident resulted in a death, the other driver caused the accident. The attorney further added that the police improperly conducted the field sobriety test. The judge set the trial date to be held in two months time, set a bail of $15,000, and dismissed the case.
I appreciated the opportunity to see a hearing being conducted and how it works. What I found fascinating is that the defendant has been held in jail for some four weeks awaiting this hearing, and now must incarcerated for another two months before trial commences, unless he raises bail; what I found shocking was under the "innocent until proven guilty" the defendant is shackled as they he has already committed the crime, and that the time between the incident and trial is going to be twelve weeks. That's a long time for memories to be affective by the defendant, witnesses, and the arresting officers. But then I must remember that laws govern us, and that justice has no part in our criminal court proceedings toward the defendant or the state.
Criminal Court Observation I must admit that when I entered the courthouse I was a bit nervous. It was my first time to attend any trial, let alone a criminal one. However, I thought that a criminal case would be far more interesting than a civil one. Yet, despite my decision, and my belief that it would be "no big deal" to watch a criminal court case, I began to feel
Criminal Justice Courts System I visited Monroe County Family Court that is located in 106 South Court Street in Lewisburg West Virginia on December 1, 2016. During this visit, the judge, Judge David M. Sanders, was presiding over a domestic violence case. I was really impressed by Judge Sanders because he had everything under control and ensured that the proceedings moved forward seamlessly and efficiently. Judge Sander ensured that everything was
A plea-bargain is frequently attained at this time in order to circumvent a trial. In the event that a plea-bargain is reached, the case does not move forward to a trial but failure to offer enough evidence to establish a plea bargain will mean that the case goes on to trial (Criminal Justice System Handbook, 2009). The trail Trials consist of a sequence of proceedings where the prosecutor presents evidence which
The COP will be responsible to attend the Police Commission meetings to keep commission members knowledgeable about any issue related to the Department's operations, and to respond to citizens' complaints or concerns. The COP acts on all matters related to disciplinary subjects and endorse awards for model conduct of the Department's sworn and civilian employees. The COP also makes performances to private citizens' community groups, churches, schools, and the business
DNA Exonerations: John Kogut The Path To Exoneration: John Kogut The Path to Conviction When 16-year-old Teresa Fusco left work at 9:45 PM on November 10, 1984 she became one among several young girls reported missing over the past several years [Centurion Ministries, 2013; Innocence Project, n.d.(a)]. In contrast to her predecessors, however, her body was discovered a month later in a wooded area several blocks from the roller rink where she worked.
Troy Davis and the Lessons of DNA Exonerations Wrongful Convictions The Case of Troy Davis: What DNA Exonerations Can Teach Us about Wrongful Convictions When someone is wrongfully convicted of a crime they lose years of their lives to unjust sanctions, the perpetrator is free to continue victimizing others, and if it happens too often society loses faith in the criminal justice system. With the advent of DNA analysis some of this faith