Question | Answer |
Adjudication | The process of determining whether the defendant is guilty. |
Arrest | The physical taking of a person into custody on the grounds that there is reason to believe that he or she has committed a criminal offense. The purpose of the arrest is to hold the accused for a court proceeding. |
Crime control model | A model of the CJU system that assumes freedom is so important that every effort must be made to repress crime; it emphasizes efficiency, speed, finality, and the capacity to apprehend, try, convict, and dispose of a high proportion of offenders. |
Discretion | The authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, using instead one’s own judgment; allows for individualization and informality in the administration of justice. |
Discrimination | Differential treatment of individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or economic status, instead of on their behavior or qualifications. |
Disparity | A difference between groups that may either be explained by legitimate factors or indicate discrimination. |
Dual court system | A system consisting of a separate judicial structure for each state in addition to a national structure. Each case is tried in a court of the same jurisdiction as that of the law or laws broken. |
Due process model | A model of the CJU system that assumes freedom is so important that every effort must be made to ensure that CJU decisions are based on reliable info; it emphasizes the adversarial process, the rights of defendants, and formal decision-making procedures. |
Exchange | A mutual transfer of resources: a balance of benefits and deficits that flow from behavior based on decisions about the values and costs of alternatives. |
Federalism | A system of government in which power is divided between a central (national) government and regional (state) governments. |
Felonies | Serious crimes usually carrying a penalty of death or incarceration for more than one year. |
Filtering process | A screening operation; a process by which criminal justice officials screen out some cases while advancing others to the next level of decision making. |
Indictment | A document returned by a grand jury as a “true bill” charging an individual with a specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause as presented by a prosecuting attorney. |
Information | A document charging an individual with a specific crime. It is prepared by a prosecuting attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing. |
Misdemeanors | Offenses less serious than felonies and usually punishable by incarceration of no more than a year, probation, or intermediate sanction. |
Plea bargain | a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge |
System | A complex whole consisting of interdependent parts whose actions are directed toward goals and are influenced by the environment within which they function. |
Warrant | A court order authorizing police officers to take certain actions, for example, to arrest suspects or to search premises. |