The Courtroom and the Courthouse In a United States courtroom, there are many participants who contribute to the goal of justice for all. The judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, defendant, victim, witnesses, jurors, bailiff, and court reporter are each participants in the courtroom workgroup. Although every participant plays a different role in the process, they each contribute to the courts general objective of ensuring that the legal system remains fair, efficient, and effective to those individuals accused of committing a crime. A judge’s role is essential to court proceedings. He or she is responsible for ensuring the court proceedings are legal, and that the defendant receives his or her rights to due process of law.
Unit 3 Assignment Professor Robinson Megan Faust CJ233: Forensic Psychology Psychologists are very important elements of the legal system because of the many roles they play. Psychologists most commonly perform roles such as advising attorneys on cases, providing research, consulting on trials and jury selection, testifying as expert witnesses, and evaluating trials. However psychologists do not just play an important role in the courtroom setting. Psychologists are also often used by law enforcement, corrections, and even in university settings. Most commonly, in criminal cases these psychologists play big roles in course a trial takes and its outcome.
The role of a prosecuting attorney is to review all evidence against a person or party and build a case against the person(s). A prosecutor is typically in charge of bringing criminal charges against a person(s) and presenting their evidence to a court to assure a conviction. They work directly for the district attorneys office of a jurisdiction and are responsible for presenting the state’s case against the defendant. The prosecuting attorney is the primary representative of the people by virtue of the belief that violations of the criminal law are an affront to the public. The prosecutor pairs up with the law enforcement officers that are gathering the evidence and then they see if they have enough evidence to continue with the case.
Indictable offences are the more serious crimes such as murder, armed robbery, sexual assault, drug trafficking and arson. These offences are tried by a judge and jury in District or Supreme Courts. A preliminary (committal) hearing is held in Local Court before a magistrate to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a ‘prima facie’ case. The prosecution is required to produce evidence and witnesses. The process of criminal prosecution begins when a person (usually a police officer) lays information before a court or a justice of the peace.
The judge oversees the trial from a bench which is on an elevated stage setting. The judge has five fundamental tasks in a courtroom. The first is simply to preside over the proceedings and ensure that order in the courtroom is upheld. The second is to make certain that the evidence that both the defense and the prosecuting party wish to present in the courtroom is legal and proper. Third, prior to the jury undergoing discussion about the facts in the case, the judge gives the jury guidelines about the law that relates to the case and the criteria that must be used in deciding the case.
The officer may be called into court later to testify to the facts of the case. Police organizations are essential to the legal process because without this there would be nobody caught to pay for their crimes. There are thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. Based on where the law enforcement agencies derive their power, there are two main groups. The federal government empowered agencies and the state government empowered agencies.
Magistrates have a clerk sit in the cases and hearings with them. Their job is to give legal advice and assist the magistrate judge with the legal side of the case. However the lay magistrate is the only person who can make the decision as to whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. The lay magistrates are also allowed to sit in the high court to hear cases of appeal which are from the magistrate’s court. Also they can send the cases up to the high court if they feel they need more legal expertise.
Their most common duties are to supervise offenders placed on supervision, and to investigate offender's personal and criminal history for the Court prior to sentencing. Probation officers
Crimes happen daily, and thousands of criminals are sent to court to defend themselves. Prosecutors often feel the need to bring in an expert witness to testify in cases where they feel an expert would better describe the situation. A mental health expert can be there to provide an objective analysis of the victim or even to describe the mental state of the suspect. These experts have to have certain criteria to be recognized as liable. Mental Health experts have contributed and are sometimes needed, and at times there are problems related with them.
They also deal with both way offences which can be tried in both magistrates and or crown court. Indictable offences are referred to crown court after the accused appear before the magistrates to confirm their name and charges. Magistrates’ courts also deal with family and youth courts which may include adoptions, maintenance payments and care proceedings. In youth courts the public are not allowed in apart from only those directly involved in the case. 95%of criminal offences are tried and dealt with in magistrates’ court.