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Ethical Dilemmas And Decisions In Criminal Justice

2505 Words11 Pages

When discussing professional ethics, it is critical that the term ethics is understood first and foremost. In the textbook, Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice, the term ethics is defined as the discipline of determining good and evil and defining moral duties (Pollock, 2014, pg. 6). Essentially, ethics are standards that help one to determine what is considered right and wrong and the study of these standards. However, there are several categories of ethics that allow one to approach and apply ethics differently. Specifically, professional ethics is a school of ethics pertaining to the ethical behavior of individuals working within a certain profession or field. While the application of professional ethics is valuable in all …show more content…

Like police officers, prosecutors also have a great amount of discretion that must be exercised cautiously and responsibly in order to ensure ethical standards are not violated. Essentially, prosecutors have the power to decide which cases they will and will not prosecute, that is, which cases will be brought before a judge in order to seek justice. If they do decide to bring a case before a judge to be tried, they must be prepared to properly represent the government by working closely with law enforcement officials, gathering evidence, calling forth witnesses, and other duties to ensure that their case is strong enough to obtain a conviction. However, the amount of power and discretion prosecutors are afforded along with the pressure to win a case can pave the way for prosecutorial misconduct and ethical violations. Perhaps the most well-known form of prosecutorial misconduct is the concealment of exculpatory evidence, otherwise known as evidence that is favorable to the …show more content…

This is because all of these areas of the criminal justice system work in tandem to ensure that the law is enforced, the public is protected from crime, and those who break the law are held accountable for their actions. Notwithstanding how law enforcement works more closely and frequently with members of society, professional ethics in corrections and prosecution are still a significant factor when it comes to the public’s trust in the criminal justice system and its ability to uphold the law. All in all, professional ethics possess a critical role when it comes to ensuring criminal justice practitioners are acting ethically and responsibly, and it is important that professional ethics are incorporated into all criminal justice professions to maintain the integrity and legitimacy of the criminal justice

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