Is the criminal justice system to protect the victim or the accused? Which is more important?

About a year ago in New York, two teenagers were killed in cold-blood in a school-yard. Told to kneel down, and then executed - shot in the head. One of the accused was arrested and confessed.

This week, he may be freed, because he was given his rights in Spanish (the accused was a Latino) and now it's being said, by the defense lawyers, that the policeman who gave him his rights wasn't 100% fluent in Spanish, and botched a couple of the words during his reading of the defendants rights. Can you imagine freeing this person because of that? Are we for justice, or is it all about playing lawyers games?

Asked by gandg22 33 months ago Similar questions: criminal justice system protect victim accused important Politics & Law > Law.

Similar questions: criminal justice system protect victim accused important.

Just one story There are several hundred thousand prsecutions a year. You can cherry-pick and find all kind of unusual situations, where justice went slightly askew, like the story above, or where one piece of evidence was left unattended or unsigned-for for ten minutes. You'll also find plenty of video footage of cops going ballistic and beating up defenceseless suspects.

Cops and lawyers are human and they're going to goof up a certain percentage of the time. It's unavoidable. But looking at just a few incidents, That's no reason for judging the whole system to be unfair to one side or the other..

Technically, the criminal justice system exists to protect EVERYONE'S rights. Believe it or not, the accused--and even the criminal--still have some rights. That said, I would add that I have a huge problem with the whole "Miranda" thing because I believe that if a person is in this country, that person, any person, should know both the language and the government.In other words, the arresting officer shouldn't have to inform the accused or arrested of anything because he or she already knows.

Leaving it to the police to do the parents' and teachers' job is permitting the person to be as ignorant as a child until the last minute. And then we have malarkey like this, where the convicted and the guilty are freed instead of punished. Ah well, it's not my government; my government can't be stolen out from under me like our last few presidential elections were.

1 The answer to your question, of course, is neither. The criminal justice system is to protect the accused-but-innocent. It is to insure that the State follows ALL procedures and PROVES their case that someone is indeed guilty.

The specific case you're referring to, of course, is BS. But if you're going to make the rule that cops MUST follow all procedures and all requirements to insure the guilt of those they accuse, then you have to enforce that rule. You can't waver and say "wellllll okay this time we'll ignore it", because the instant you do that, we bring up the possibility of the rules being bent, broken, or ignored when an actual innocent person is on trial.

The answer to your question, of course, is neither. The criminal justice system is to protect the accused-but-innocent. It is to insure that the State follows ALL procedures and PROVES their case that someone is indeed guilty.

The specific case you're referring to, of course, is BS. But if you're going to make the rule that cops MUST follow all procedures and all requirements to insure the guilt of those they accuse, then you have to enforce that rule. You can't waver and say "wellllll okay this time we'll ignore it", because the instant you do that, we bring up the possibility of the rules being bent, broken, or ignored when an actual innocent person is on trial.

2 I agree - somewhat - Isn't it true that justice was being dished out long before the Maranda Rights. Now, it seems to be all about - Make sure the defendant is given all his rights. If he's guilty or not is really secondary.So if someone kills in cold blood, and there's a hitch in the wording of his Maranda rights, that makes the crime go away?

.

I agree - somewhat - Isn't it true that justice was being dished out long before the Maranda Rights. Now, it seems to be all about - Make sure the defendant is given all his rights. If he's guilty or not is really secondary.So if someone kills in cold blood, and there's a hitch in the wording of his Maranda rights, that makes the crime go away?

3 gandg22 this story makes me sick. It is things like this that make criminal defense attorneys so disliked by the public. I feel sorry for the families of the two dead kids who do not get justice.

I am sure those killers understood the language perfectly until the attorney told them to act dumb.

Gandg22 this story makes me sick. It is things like this that make criminal defense attorneys so disliked by the public. I feel sorry for the families of the two dead kids who do not get justice.

I am sure those killers understood the language perfectly until the attorney told them to act dumb.

Criminal Justice" "The foundation of our criminal justice system is in the Constitution. " "describe the influence that each of the six perspectives on justice has on the criminal justice system today. " "if the police agencies were combined would the criminal justice system have to be combined?" "TERRORISM & RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE: do you think our government & criminal justice system should revamp the following?

" "Can I teach with a criminal justice degree" "CRIMINAL JUSTICE" "how does the criminal justice system balance the rights of society and the rights of the individual? " "In what ways do you think tax dollars are best spent on the operation of the criminal justice system?" "In court, who is most likely to be believed, the accused or the victim?

The foundation of our criminal justice system is in the Constitution.

Describe the influence that each of the six perspectives on justice has on the criminal justice system today.

Can I teach with a criminal justice degree.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.