Criminal Justice 13 Steps

Question 1

what are the 13 steps?

Answer 1

1) investigation, 2) arrest, 3) booking, 4) charging, 5) initial appearance, 6) preliminary hearing/grand jury, 7) indictment, 8) arraignment, 9) trial, 10) sentencing, 11) appeal, 12) corrections, 13) release

Question 2

Investigation

Answer 2

Police gather evidence of a possible crime.

Question 3

Arrest

Answer 3

A suspect is taken into custody.

Question 4

Booking

Answer 4

Suspect’s info is recorded (name, charges, fingerprints, photo).

Question 5

Charging

Answer 5

Prosecutor files formal charges. Determines if the defendant can be offered a plea bargain.

Question 6

Initial Appearance

Answer 6

The suspect goes before a judge, hears the charges, and may get bail.

Question 7

Preliminary Hearing

Answer 7

“trial before the trial”, the judge decides if there is enough evidence for the defendant to be taken to an actual trial. This is a faster process than going to a Grand Jury.

Question 8

Grand Jury

Answer 8

A grand jury is a group of citizens that reviews evidence in secret to decide if there’s enough reason to formally charge someone with a serious crime. (typically 18-23 people)

Question 9

Indictment

Answer 9

A formal accusation, issued by a grand jury, formally charging an individual with a crime. Sets the stage for further legal proceedings. Bail is revisted at this step.

Question 10

Arraignment

Answer 10

Defendant enters a plea (guilty, not guilty, no contest). This is essentially the last chance to plea bargain as all the details are set for a trial.

Question 11

Trial

Answer 11

Evidence is presented; guilt or innocence is determined.

Question 12

Sentencing

Answer 12

Judge decides the punishment if the defendant is found guilty.

Question 13

Appeal

Answer 13

When a convicted person asks a higher court to review their case for legal errors that may have affected the outcome.

Question 14

Corrections

Answer 14

Offender serves sentence (prison, probation, parole, etc.).

Question 15

Release

Answer 15

When an offender is let out of the correctional system, either after completing their sentence, being paroled, or found not guilty.

Question 16

how does release occur?

Answer 16

1) it could be by completing the entire punishment given, 2) parole, 3) changes within the system (charges dropped, laws changed).

Question 17

how is corrections determined?

Answer 17

corrections is typically determined by the court but then given to law enforcement(usually a corrections officer) to carry out the punishment. Examples of corrections may be, probation, community service, paying money, and incararation.

Question 18

5 most commons grounds for appeals are….?

Answer 18

1) improper admission of evidence (evidence that was shown to the jury when it was not allowed or shouldn’t have been); 2) prosecutorial misconduct (when the prosecutor does something that is not allowed); 3) ineffective assistance of counsel (when your defense attorney falls below the standard that is expected of them); 4) jury misconduct (proof exists that the jury was not following the rules); 5) insufficient evidence (you argue that there wasn’t compelling evidence to match the verdict and you want it reviewed

Question 19

when sentencing what is retribution and rehabilitation?

Answer 19

both retribution (recongizes the victim) and rehabitliation (recognizes the offender) are taken into account when the judge determines a sentence; setting an example with the punishment is a style that is always taken into account

Question 20

what are the 7 essential stages to a trial?

Answer 20

1) voire dire, 2) opening statement, 3) state’s case in chief, 4) defense case, 5) state’s rebuttal, 6) closing arguements, 7) verdict

Question 21

voir dire

Answer 21

(one of the most important parts of the trial) Voir Dire is the process during jury selection where lawyers and the judge question potential jurors to determine if they can be fair and impartial in the case.

Question 22

burden of proof

Answer 22

The prosecution must present strong enough evidence to convince the judge or jury that there is no reasonable doubt the defendant committed the crime.

Question 23

beyond a reasonable doubt

Answer 23

The evidence must be so convincing that there is no reasonable uncertainty left about the defendant’s guilt.

Question 24

key points of the arraignment step are…?

Answer 24

1) all the checking points are completed (arrest, charge, etc…) this means the polce, district attorney, judge, citizens, all believe that is it POSSIBLE that the accused did commit the crime. 2) plea must be entered, (guilty, not guilty, no contest). 3) essentially the LAST chance to plea bargain as all the details are set for the trial

Question 25

what occurs at the arraignment step?

Answer 25

The first court appearance where the accused is officially told the charges against them. Lawyer could be appointed, bail motions set, all dates for motions/trial set.

Question 26

what does the indictment step signal?

Answer 26

A formal charge or accusation that a person has committed a crime. Signals that the prosecution is ready for a trial.

Question 27

if you go to preliminary hearing you go straigh to....

Answer 27

the arraignment step

Question 28

whats the goal of the prosecutor at the preliminary hearing/grand jury step?

Answer 28

the goal is to obtain a "finding of probable cause" at this step

Question 29

probable cause

Answer 29

Probable Cause means there is a reasonable basis to believe that a crime has been committed or that evidence of a crime is present in a particular place.

Question 30

why is nearly everyone indicted?

Answer 30

Nearly everyone is indicted because prosecutors only present cases with enough evidence to meet the low standard of probable cause, and grand juries usually approve these charges.

Question 31

preliminary hearing

Answer 31

Preliminary hearing is a public court process with a judge.

Question 32

grand jury

Answer 32

a grand jury lets citizens(who took into account the evidence) decide if there is enough proof (probable cause) to charge the person.

Question 33

initial appearance...

Answer 33

The initial appearance is the first court hearing where the arrested person is told the charges against them, informed of their rights, and the judge decides on bail or release conditions.

Question 34

charging is important because....

Answer 34

The charging step is important because it formally notifies the defendant of the specific crimes they are accused of, setting the foundation for the entire legal process and protecting their right to prepare a defense.

Question 35

the booking step is...

Answer 35

The booking step is the process where the police officially record the suspect’s information—like name, fingerprints, and photo—after an arrest, mainly for identification and record-keeping.

Question 36

after the first three steps...

Answer 36

the police are no longer in control of decisions, the court system now takes control

Question 37

the arrest step....

Answer 37

The arrest step is when the police take a person into custody because they have probable cause to believe that person committed a crime.

Question 38

the investigation step...

Answer 38

The investigation step is when police gather evidence and information to find out if a crime happened and who might be responsible.

Question 39

plea bargain is discussed and availaible when?

Answer 39

A plea bargain is usually discussed and entered after the charging step and before the trial, often during or after the arraignment, as both sides negotiate to resolve the case without going to trial. (around step 8 or 9)

Question 40

plea bargain

Answer 40

Plea bargaining is an agreement where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge or gets a lighter sentence to avoid trial. It helps save time and resources for the court and gives the defendant a chance for a reduced punishment. (down unofficially, judge has to sign off on deal) involves charge bargaining, sentence bargaining

Question 41

Most important step...?

Answer 41

The trial — because it’s where guilt or innocence is determined through examining evidence and ensuring a fair process.

Question 42

Least important step...?

Answer 42

The booking — since it’s mainly administrative (recording personal info) and doesn’t affect the legal outcome or the defendant’s rights. Booking does not influence whether a person is found guilty or innocent, making it less critical compared to other steps that directly impact justice.