Go to the Lawyers Website and review the article titled, “The Criminal Justice Process,” located at http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/the-criminal-justice-process.html. Determine the three (3) most important areas of the criminal justice process. Provide support for your rationale on why you feel that they are vital as they relate to the criminal justice process.

From the textbook, compare and contrast the various sources of rights found in the United States. In your own opinion, determine which you feel is the most important source and why.

RESPOND TO FOLLOWING STATEMENT :

The trial is another important area in the criminal justice process. The jury must be able to take all evidence in consideration to reach a justifiable verdict. A juror’s inability to set aside personal biases can have devastating consequences for the offender. The effects of juror biases can be seen in the Scottsboro Boys trial of 1931. An all-white jury wrongfully convicted a group of black males for raping two white women, despite the defendants’ lack of legal counsel. Though the U.S Supreme Court overturned the convictions, the state of Alabama tirelessly sought its own brand of justice and retried the defendants; sentencing one defendant, Haywood Patterson, to “75 years in prison” (Wormser, 2002).

The verdict is a third important area in the criminal justice process. A “verdict is the pronouncement of guilt or innocence” (de Carmen, 2014, pg. 56). A verdict of guilty or not-guilty can affect all parties involved in the criminal justice process, including the public. The verdicts in highly publicized cases, such as the Rodney King Case, may prompt individuals to seek justice in a destructive manner. A verdict also has the power to end dictatorships and restore lives. Sadam Hussein’s guilty verdict and death sentence were political milestones for the United States and other nations.