The judicial system is very important in the administration of justice for any society. Functions of the system are clearly stipulated and defended by the constitution of any nation. For a judge to pass a ruling on a suspect, the trial has to go through several stages before a final ruling is arrived at. Thus, one would believe the judgments made are considered fair making the judicial system a defender of justice and fairness. Occasionally, there are circumstances involved that may cause innocent individuals to be punished for crimes they did not commit. This paper will explore jurisdiction, plea deals, and exonerations.
Jurisdiction
The Steubenville High School rape case occurred on August 11, 2012 in Steubenville, Ohio. The case
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She was discovered at around 11pm on February 18th. Carter had been seen earlier that day with a man named Andre Hatchett. Carter lived in the same apartment complex as Hatchett’s aunt. He visited his aunt’s home almost every day. With no leads or evidence, police began to question people close to Carter. Hatchett voluntarily cooperated with the police in the days and weeks following the investigation.
He provided an alibi and was cleared to leave the precinct after questioning at the time of the crime. Andre who has special needs and an I.Q. of 63 with the reading and writing ability of a first grader. He was only 24 years old at the time and was recovering from severe gunshot wounds to his throat and leg. His right leg was in a cast, he was also using crutches on the night of the crime and days prior to that night. Another week went by and a named Gerard “Jerry Williams” was arrested for unrelated burglary charges.
Williams who admitted to having at least 20 criminal convictions told police he had information about the Carter murder. Williams gave a statement to the homicide detective and two assistant D. As’. He claimed he and a woman nicknamed “Popeye” were in the park the night of the crime. William said he heard a woman scream and saw from a distance of 35 to 40