Courts In The Criminal Justice System

The most problematic component in the criminal justice system are the courts. The courts were designed to ensure that individuals have a fair trial and that their rights are upheld. The courts act as a bridge between law enforcement and corrections. Courts produce the laws that sentence individuals to correctional facilities and it is the law enforcement 's job to enforce those laws. The actors in the courts such as judges, juries, and public defenders is a reason why courts are the most problematic component in the criminal justice system. The many components involved with courts is a reason why they are to most problematic component in the criminal justice system.

The court is the most problematic component in the criminal justice system

The plea bargain is a major problem facing courts today because innocent people are ending up behind bars. It is the defendants right to be able to plea bargain, but it is not always in their best interest to do so. Many defendants feel forced to plea bargain because they either feel as though their case has no chance against a jury or the public defender has little time to spend on their case. The defendant 's plea bargain to receive a lesser sentence, even if they are innocent. The other aspect of plea bargaining that poses a problem is guilty defendants receive a lesser sentence for the crime they committed. Plea bargains are supposed to help the courts not to be overcrowded, but in return, innocent people are being locked up. Another reason of why the courts are the most problematic component in the criminal justice system is because of the corruption in the courts. Examples of the corruption that happens in courts can include jury tampering, racism, and judges being bribed. The forms of corruption that occur in the courtroom can have an impact on the end result of a case. Judges and jurors may be bribed to alter the verdict of a case. Racist judges or jurors

The problems of a judge 's interpretation of the Constitution and having a jury determine the verdict, both affect the end result in a case. The judicial interpretation of the Constitution affects how law enforcement can conduct their jobs. Judicial interpretation of the Constitution is a problem because different judges are either more conservative or more liberal with the interpretation of the Constitution. This poses a potential problem because their interpretation affects the laws in the United States. The jury deciding the final verdict of a defendant is another problem in the courts. In their article, "Jury Decision Making: Implications For and From Psychology" Brian Bornstein and Edie Greene reveal that the court "requires ordinary citizens who lack legal training to hear evidence, make sense of conflicting facts, and apply legal rules to reach a verdict" (Bornstein and Greene 63). Jury decision making poses a problem because ordinary people are required to sort evidence and reach a verdict, which all jurors may not agree with. The reasons of how a judge interprets the Constitution and a jury making the final verdict in a case add to the cause of why the courts are the most problematic component in the criminal justice