Processes and Procedures used in Courts

Explain the processes and procedures used in courts

Scenario

You are a Community Outreach Coordinator for your local chapter of the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA). A recent study found that people in your area are often unsure of court processes, procedures, and outcomes. As a result, they often are not able to make informed decisions at this critical time in their lives. Using this published research, you have applied for and been awarded a small grant to create community outreach materials to educate the public about court processes.

Directions

The community outreach materials you create should show your knowledge of the following criteria. A template and other possible presentation formats are included in the Supporting Materials section.

• Describe how a defendant moves through the criminal justice system from arrest to sentencing. In 150–200 words, address movement from one step of the process to the next for each of the following:
  • Arrest
  • Arraignment
  • Pretrial hearing
  • Bail
  • Trial
  • Verdict
  • Sentencing
  • Appeal
• Describe alternative processes and their impact on the criminal court system. In 150–200 words, address each of the following:
  • Plea bargains
  • Restorative justice principles
• Describe the function of juries in the trial process. In 150–200 words, address each of the following:
  • Civil cases
    • How is this type of jury selected?
    • What is the responsibility of this type of jury?
  • Criminal cases
    • How is this type of jury selected?
    • What is the responsibility of this type of jury?
• Describe the impact of specific sentencing guidelines. In 150–200 words, address each of the following:
  • Why do sentencing guidelines exist?
  • Identify 2–3 examples of sentencing guidelines.
  • Describe the effects of each of the sentence guidelines you identified.