The criminal justice system is used to protect the rights of all citizens, and to ensure that wrong and unacceptable behavior is controlled. It is important to clearly understand the forum in which the criminal justice system occurs in real life. There is a tendency of people in all forms of society to seek justice for crimes committed against them or against what they perceive to be right according to the law. The main purpose of the criminal justice system is to protect individuals and the society at large from any real or perceived criminal activities that threaten their well-being (Gardner &Anderson, 2017). The criminal justice system occurs in the court system, while the investigative procedure is provided for by statutory laws and case rulings from previous court proceedings. There are many concepts that a person investigating a case within the criminal justice system should familiarize themselves with for the success of their work within the criminal justice system. Therefore, it is essential to analyze a criminal justice film, Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990), by Wolk through the application of concepts and cases from the advanced criminal law class.
In the film, Wolk (1990) brings out the case of criminal law under public law. The film is about a woman, Denise Moore, who is robbed and had her face cut while leaving a crack house. While at the police station, Moore picked and lined up Jessie Williams. However, Williams denies doing that, but everybody pushed him to plea to a smaller crime, to evade a likely long term sentence. This film entails the public Law concept, which is the law that applies to all people in the country and includes criminal law (Gardner & Anderson, 2017). It is the work of public officers in the justice system to enforce criminal law by ensuring that suspects of the crime are apprehended and prosecuted in a court of law rather than leaving that responsibility to the victim of the crime. For instance, the police officers Riley and Lane compel Moore to keep looking at the photos to identify her perpetrator.
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Criminal procedure, a concept under public law, holds that public matters are executed by public prosecutors, courts, prisons and police and other public law enforcers (Gardner &Anderson, 2017). This is evident in Wolk’s film. Police power is the power vested by the constitution to the state to ensure they effectively enforce public law within their jurisdiction and is vital in the criminal justice system. However, this power is subject to limitation as far as its applicability in the enforcement of criminal law is concerned (Gardner &Anderson, 2017). For example, in the film, Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990, police power and responsibility in the criminal law is seen in the apprehension of the suspect as well as the identification of the suspect by the victim in a parade.
Felony and misdemeanor are words used to classify crime. According to Gardner and Anderson (2017), a felony is a serious crime that can attract a jail term of more than one year while a misdemeanor is a crime that can attract a shorter jail term of less than one year. In the film, Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990) , the suspect, Williams, is accused of committing a felony that would attract a sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted, while the victim, Moore, has a criminal record of misdemeanor convictions, which include shoplifting and prostitution. Due process is a concept in the constitution that ensures that the rights of all accused persons are protected, and that they are given a chance to prove their innocence (Gardner &Anderson, 2017). For example, the due process should ensure that the police notify the accused of their rights during an arrest.
In the case, Robinson v. California , 370 U.S. 660 (1962), the police are heard notifying the accused person of his rights to remain silent and the rights to an attorney. Failure to follow due process may greatly affect the credibility of an investigation, and, thus, affect the integrity of the criminal justice system. In Wolk’s film, Williams is awarded due process by having the chance to ask for a lawyer and having him sent to Central Booking in Brooklyn. As such, his rights were not violated as he got the chance to have a lawyer. Right to remain silent is another concept that is used in criminal justice ( Gardner &Anderson, 2017 ) . It is part of the due process required to protect the rights of the accused persons.
Status Crime is a concept that asks the question of whether one is guilty of a crime due to their chronic condition such as drug addiction ( Gardner &Anderson, 2017 ) . For example, in the case, Robinson v. California , 370 U.S. 660 (1962), the Supreme Court was tasked with explaining whether one could be convicted for what he or she was. The ruling of the case was that it was not fair to do so in cases where one was addicted to drugs. In the film, Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990, the victim fears being a witness due to her drug addiction and prostitution with fear that they may be used against her. However, her lawyer and prosecutor refer her to a rehabilitation center where she can get help.
Equal protection of the law is a concept in criminal justice that allows both the accused and the victim to be protected against any wrongdoing or violation of their constitutional rights. According to Gardner and Anderson (2017), all people should be given a fair trial and should be subjected to a fair process within the criminal justice system. Looking at the film, Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990, the identification of Williams by Moore does not seem to be fair as it is the only evidence the police have against the accused. The other people paraded together with the accused are getting from the cells and not from the same place Williams was collected. This seems to be unfair and does not prove much in the case of the accused. There is, therefore, a need for the criminal justice system to protect the accused against false accusation.
The burden of proof is a concept of the justice system that requires the prosecutor to give enough evidence to the court to prove that the accused committed the crime. In the case of the film, C riminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990), the prosecutor needs to prove against any reasonable doubt that the accused did attack the victim. Before the trial begins, the defense lawyer had explained to the grand jury of the concept of Beyond Reasonable Doubt. This ensures that the accused provides enough evidence to convince a conviction. This is one of the criminal justice procedures that ensure that the rights of an accused against malicious accusations are prevented.
Therefore, it is important to note that the criminal justice system is important in ensuring that law and order are maintained. It offers a good remedy for deterring crime. Though a complicated process, its importance cannot be underestimated. However, care should be taken to ensure that justice is delivered in the best way possible while respecting the rights of people. It should also be seen to be fair to all parties. Several provisions within the law such as the presumption of innocence till proven guilty and equality within the law are vital in maintaining the integrity of the criminal justice systems.
References
Gardner, T., & Anderson, T. (2017). Criminal law (13th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.
Wolk, A. (1990). Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper (1990) [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAEGUmNYw9g&t=1482s
