Criminal Justice process in the USA

Criminal Justice process in the USA

   Basically, the steps in the criminal court processes are as follows: arrest and booking, arraignment, trial and appeals (if any).

  A person who comes into contact with the criminal courts must initially be arrested. The arrest may take place with or without using a warrant (e.g. when an offense takes place in the prescnce o f the officer, or when there is probable or reasonable cause to believe that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed. A felony is a serious offense punishable by death or imprisonment. A misdemeanor is a less serious offense punishable by a fine or up to one year in jail, or both). Even after an arrest the suspect may be released without being prosecuted for a variety of reasons: mistaken identity, lack of proper evidence, etc.

After the arrest is made, the suspect is booked. The booking card of the law enforcement agency contains information such as the date and time of arrest, the charge or crime for which the person was arrested, the name of the arrested person, the name of the arresting officer. Here the accused is photographed, fingerprinted, and temporarily released on bail, if possible.
The record or booking card is permanently kept in the files of the police department. On important cases, the prosecutor may be present at the booking, but usually he will enter the ease during the arraignment or initial appearance of the suspect before a magistrate or other judicial officer.    Before turning to the prosecution of the suspect, it must be remembered that the investigative work of the police may continue even though the accused is involved with the prosecution or court phases o f the criminal justice system.

  At arraignment, summary trials can be held for petty offenses without further processing. During the initial appearance before a magistrate, judge or justice of the peace, the accused is to answer the charges against him. During the arraignment procedure, the charge may be dismissed by the court for a legal reason or the prosecutor may request to have the charges dropped. The initial appearance may also serve as the trial for minor offenses that have payment of a fine or a relatively short time in jail as punishment. Once the judge finds a verdict of guilt, the accuscd is

sentenced to jail or payment of a fine. The defendant may also be placed on probation for a specified length of time. If sentenced to jail, he may be granted parole.

  The purpose of preliminary hearing in the lower court is to determine whether there is a reasonable cause to believe that a felony was committed and whether there is a reasonable cause to believe that the accused committed the crime. It is here that a preliminary testing of the evidence takes place. As a result the accused may be released because of having been arrested not for probable cause, or he may be placed on bail or moved back to jail until his case is tried by the higher court.

  If there is a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed the accused, the prosecutor is given statutorily defined number of days to file formal charges against the defendant. The charge is filed on the basis o f information from citizen complaints and police investigations.

  Then another arraignment is held. If the defendant pleads guilty a date for him to be sentenced is set by the judge. If the defendant pleads not guilty, he may request to have a jury trial or be tried by the court without a jury. At the trial, if the defendant is convicted, a date for sentencing is set.

   Before imposing the actual sentence an investigation by the probation officer takes place to assist the judge in deciding on a penalty. The defendant may be fined,sentenced to jail, or placed on probation. During  this period the defendant can appeal his conviction. As a rule, the appeal stays the execution of the sentence. If the appeal is unsuccessful or the defendant decides not to appeal, the penalty is imposed.

   The defendant is then involved in the corrections of the criminal justice system. It is here that rehabilitation of offenders is supposed to occur. This is the purpose of correctional establishments.

To reduce the risk of convicting an innocent person, there are checks and reviews at all stages of the criminal justice system.

(Law Enforcement in a Democratic Society, E. Beckman)

Notes:

a magistrate — магистрат; судья полицейского суда

justice of the peace — мировой судья

have the charges dropped — прекратить дело

once the judge finds a verdict of guilt — как только судья выносит

обвинительный приговор

is supposed to occur — как полагают, происходит

Ex. 1. Find English equivalents in the text: ( найдите в тексте следующие слова и выражения, выпишите их в тетрадь и выучите наизусть)

уголовный процесс; обвинение; судебное разбирательство; обжалование; произвести арест; ордер; совершить тяжкое преступление; тюремное заключение; подозреваемый; правоохранительные органы; обвиняемый; снимать отпечатки пальцев; картотека; упрощенное судопроизводство; мелкие правонарушения; суд низшей инстанции; слушать дело; подвергать уголовному преследованию; признать себя виновным; суд присяжных; вынести приговор; определить наказание; осудить условно; передать на поруки; перевоспитать; исправительные учреждения.

Ex. 2. Give Russian equivalents:

Переведите на русский язык, выпишите в тетрадь и выучите наизусть 

I. law; by-law, law-breaker, lawyer, law enforcement; lawful; to make laws; to obey laws; to enact laws; to pass laws; to violate laws;

II. to prevent; to prevent offenses, prevention of crime; preventive; preventive measures; a preventive war,

III. crimу; a criminal; a criminal case; criminality; a criminological study, to commit a crime; to reduce crime; to eliminate crime.

Ex. 3. Find synonyms among the following words: 

Дайте синонимы следующим словам:выпишите в тетрадь и выучите наизусть 

law, purpose, period, to force, a criminal, verdict, to define, aim, to obtain, penalty, duty, offense; evidence; to formulate, term, to get, punishment, to break, crime, offender, sentence, to violate, to oblige, cause, statute, obligation, reason, proof.

Ex. 4. Translate the following groups of words: 

Переведите следующие словосочетания на русский язык,выпишите в тетрадь и выучите наизусть  

criminal justice proccss; trial court arraignment; law enforcement: agencies; police investigations; citizen complaints; a jury trial; a police department file; an imprisonment sentence; an arraignment procedure; a higher court trial; a ten-pound fine; a five-hundred dollar bail; a dead body identification; prosecution or court phases.

Ex. 5. Complete the sentences with one of the words given below,  Закончите предложения, употребив слова из скобок, выпишите в тетрадь и переведите на русский язык, выучите  наизусть 

(misdemeanor, released, summarily, chargcs, evidence, parole, fine, guilt, convicted, trial, felonies, booking, rehabilitate, appeal, charge):

1. There can be no conviction unless the ... of the defendant is established.

2. After making the arrest the officer may conduct a “limited” search for ... of the guilt o f the person.

3. During the arraignment procedure the ... may be dismissed.

4. If a judge finds a verdict o f guilt, the accused is sentenced to jail or

payment of a ....

5. In some jurisdictions there is no separate preliminary hearing for

misdemeanors and ....

6. At the ... a date for sentencing is set.

7. The procedure of... includes photographing and fingerprinting.

8. A person chargcd with a petty offense can be tried ... .

9. The purpose of corrections is to ... offenders.

10. The procedure of prosecutions for a felony is the same as for a ....

11. If the defendant is ... at the trial the date for sentencing is set.

12. The defendant can ... his conviction before the actual sentence is

imposed.

13. Even if the defendant is sentcnccd to jail, he may be granted ....

14. During the arraignment the judge ... the accuscd with a specific crimc.

15. The accused may be ... at the preliminary hearing if there is no

reasonable cause to believe that he committed the crime.

Ex. 6. Say what it is: 

Завершите предложения словами подходящими по смыслу.выпишите в тетрадь, переведите на русский язык  и выучите наизусть 

1. A formal order given by a judge or a prosecutor to arrest a person is

called ....

2. The decision of a court made after the trial o f a defendant is callcd ....

3. A fine, imprisonment or probation — all these arc different types of ....

4. A sum o f money paid by the person arrested for being released until the trial is called ....

5. If a person breaks the law or violates public order it means that he

commits a ..

6. All facts and things that must be presented to court to prove the guilt of

the accuscd arc called ....

7. If a person is convicted and the penalty is not a fine or imprisonment but placing him under control of a spccial police officcr it means that a person is placed  ... .

8. If a person pleads not guilty and docs not agree with the scntcncc he may file an ....

9. A panel usually consisting o f 12 persons to hold trials is callcd ... .

Ex. 7. Give your definition of the following: 

Завершите предложения .выпишите в тетрадь, переведите  и выучите наизусть 

1. The accused is a person who ...

2. A criminal is a person who ...

3. The defendant is a person who ...

4. The suspect is a person who ...

5. The convict is a person who ...

Ex. 8. Answer the questions on the text:

Дайте ответы на вопросы по тексту. выпишите в тетрадь, переведите  и выучите наизусть 

1. What are the steps o f the criminal justicc in the USA?

2. In what eases may an arrest be made without a warrant?

3. What is a felony?

4. What is the punishment for a misdemeanor?

5. May the suspcct be released without being prosecuted? In what cases?

6. What docs booking include?

7. Where docs booking take place?

8. In what eases arc summary trials held?

9. What is the purpose o f preliminary hearing?

10. Who files formal charges against defendants?

11. When is a date for sentencing set?

12. What are the types o f punishments?

13. What is the function o f the probation officer?

14. When can the defendant appeal his conviction?

15. What is the purpose o f corrections?

16. What is done to reduce the risk o f convicting an innoccnt person?

Ex. 9. Translate into English:

Переведите на английский язык.

1. Уголовный процесс имеет следующие стадии: арест и регистрация, привлечение к суду, предварительное слушание, предъявление обвинения, судебное разбирательство и обжалование.

2. Арест должен производиться на основании постановления (ордера).

3. Тяжкое преступление — это преступление, наказуемое смертной

казнью или тюремным заключением.

4. Менее тяжкое уголовное преступление — это преступление, наказуемое штрафом или тюремным заключением до I года.

5. После предварительного слушания лицу предъявляется официальное обвинение.

6. На стадии привлечения к суду обвинение может быть отклонено.

7. Если обвиняемый признает себя виновным, устанавливается дата

вынесения приговора.

8. После судебного разбирательства обвиняемый может обжаловать

приговор.

9. Обвиняемый может быть осужден только судом.

10. Подозреваемый может быть временно отпущен под залог.