The United States Criminal Justice System

The United States Criminal Justice System is the structural basis used to maintain social control. It has many components that work together to provide justice for criminals and victims of crimes, enabling law violators to be prosecuted in a fair trial. One of the fundamental theories of the U.S. criminal justice system is that those on trial remain innocent until proven guilty.

As a result, the rights to a fair and regular trial are upheld for criminals on trial in the US Criminal Justice System. The laws are in place to ensure that criminals are not abused or cruelly punished.

The History of the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Criminal justice systems have been in place throughout history to ensure the safety of citizens. In Colonial America, the U.S. Criminal Justice System was greatly influenced by the religion and philosophers of the age.

From its inception, the U.S. criminal justice system has upheld the concept of checks and balances. To prevent authoritarian rule, the Founding Fathers separated power of the nation so that one person would never be in complete control of the society's way of sanctioning criminals. By appointing a jury of peers to interpret the laws and the punishments for the accused, the concept of checks and balances trickled into the justice system to ensure that anyone accused of a crime would get a fair trial.

Today, the U.S. Criminal Justice System is more refined that it has been in the past due to the fact that modern laws are more cohesive, defined and uniform for the entire nation. The punishments for each offense are recorded, and judges are required to treat each offender in the same manner. Offenders and crime victims also have more rights than they once did in the beginning days of the U.S. Criminal Justice System.

Components of the Criminal Justice System

The U.S. Criminal Justice System operates through five major components. If a crime cannot be resolved through local law enforcement, it progresses to the next step. The five components are:

1. Local Law Enforcement: If a citizen observes a crime, he will point out the offender to local law enforcement. The police force is the main component that brings criminals to the Criminal Justice System. Some crimes (such as speeding or trespassing) can be resolved directly by the police with the issue of a ticket or fine. For more severe offenses that involve victims, the police turn to the court system for a fair trial.
2. Court Trial: Once the offender has entered into the legal system, a court trial is the next step for the criminal. The law enforcement officer or other witnesses present the facts and evidence of the case to the prosecutor. The prosecutor decides if charges should be filed for the violator. If there are charges filed, a court case will follow.
3. Court Case: The case is brought to a judge in a court of law. If the offenses are minor and the criminal is obviously guilty, the judge will often offer a sentence of punishment, and the court case will be over. However, if the offense is more involved or the criminal pleads "not guilty," an entire trial must follow.
4. Trial with Grand Jury: A grand jury is used in the court of law to hear both sides of the case and help determine guilt and punishment. Having a jury of peers oversee and rule on the court proceedings is important in the rights of the criminal because the jury is a third party uninvolved in law enforcement or in the lives of the victim or offender.
5. Decision and Punishment: Once the jury members have heard the case, they make a decision on whether the offender is guilty or innocent. If proven guilty, in most cases, the judge will deliver the sentence of punishment. In some instances, however, the jury will decide on the criminal's punishment.