STUDENT & PROFESSOR REPLIES

STUDENT REPLIES

PLEASE READ STUDENT REPLIES AND THE PROFESSOR REPLY BELOW AND RESPOND BACK TO EACH STUDENT AND PROFESSOR WITH NO LESS THAN A 150 WORD COUNT FOR EACH ONE. AND MAKE SURE YOU REFERENCE EACH REPLY USING YOUR OWN RESEARCHED AND YOUR OWN REFERENCES TO COMPLETE THE WORK AND PLEASE PUT EACH STUDENT AND PROFESSOR WORK ON THERE OWN SHEET OF PAPER AND ALSO MAKE SURE YOU PUT STUDENT FIRST AND LAST NAME ON EACH OF THERE REPLY AND JUST KEEP THE PROFESSOR’S NAME AS IT IS. THANKS

STUDENT REPLY #1 Vanessa Deleon Guerrero

Judges are viewed as the most powerful and highly honored person in a courtroom. They are public figures and are officers of the court that hear out legal disputes in a court room. Judges are the decision makers in the justice system, which can greatly affect lives of people from the moment they step into the courtroom to the moment they leave. They are present in a courtroom to show that they are there to represent and serve justice. Judges are a way to show how the justice system is professed in the community and all over the world. Judges receive the most deference because, for example in a trial court, judges are limited by the criminal court’s system structure and procedures. Prosecutors in trial courts have limitless authority in deciding what alleged crimes will be formally prosecuted, what the charges will be, and whether a plea bargain will be offered. During a trial, the judge has the responsibility for safeguarding rights of the accused and the interests of the public. The judge can also determine whether or not there was sufficient evidence.

In Sheppard v. Maxwell, 1966, the judge did not take the proper and necessary means to ensure the jury had not seen and prejudicial material pertaining to the case. The judge did not keep information within the courtroom, and rather let the press inside. Names of the jurors are not kept confidential, and the judge did not take necessary steps to limit the press access to the trial. After being tried again for the murder of his wife, Sam Sheppard was found not guilty in 1966.

Reference:

Hemmens, C., Brody, D.C., & Spohn, C. (2017). Criminal courts: A contemporary perspective (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chapter 8, “Judges” (pp-223-250)

STUDENT REPLIES

STUDENT REPLY #2 Skeye Soll

Prosecutors are usually revered as having the most powers, since they can decide what charges are filed, but judges seem to garner the most respect. A lot of the work of judges happens behind the scenes. They review arrest warrants, preside over all trials, imposes sentences, accept, or decline evidence. They also serve as the buffer between attorneys. It’s the judge’s job to make sure all procedures are followed, and they must uphold the law. Everyone is given the right to a fair trial and the judge has to make sure that holds true. Being a judge would weigh heavy on the heart, they do have a lot of tough decisions to make.

I currently live in Iowa where judges are appointed. But they can stand for public retention vote. This means voters can decide to keep them in office. Where I live, we do have a problem with a lot of repeat offenders and corrupt judges. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them voted out. Like a lot of other government positions, there is a need for new and fresh leadership.

Reference

Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2017). Criminal courts: A contemporary perspective (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chapter 8, “Judges” (pp. 223-250)

PROFESSOR REPLY

You did a nice job answering the questions and supporting your thoughts. What do you think? Do these problems also occur in the US?