CJ 1010

civil court

decide disputes between individuals or entities (not criminal cases)

federal courts

have separate district courts based on territory

bail

a way for an accused individual to be released from custody prior to trial by posting money or some other form of collateral

plea bargain

negotiation between prosecutor and defendant. defendant enters a plea of guilty in exchange for reduced charges or sentence

bail denial

for those with capital offenses or serious charges

limited jurisdiction courts

handle minor cases (traffic, misdemeanors, small civil disputes)

appellate courts

review lower court decisions for legal errors (no trials, no new evidence)

grand jury

a group of citizens who decide if there is enough evidence to issue and indicment

preliminary hearing

a hearing where the judge determines if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial

contempt of court

disobeying or disrespecting the court’s authority

most common execution method in the U.S

lethal injection

3 structured sentencing models

determinate sentencing, indeterminate sentencing, mandatory sentencing

concurrent sentencing

serving multiple sentences at the same time

consecutive sentencing

serving sentences one after another

indeterminate sentencing

sentence given as a range. minimum = earliest parole eligibility maximum = longest possible time served

Sentencing Reform Act of 1984

created federal sentencing guidelines to reduce disparities in sentencing

most common sentence

probation

probation v parole

probation: supervision instead of prison, parole: early release from prison under supervision

special v basic conditions

basic: standard rules (reporting, no crimes), special: tailored to offender

Furman v Georgia

ruled the death penalty applied arbitrarily and often racially biased

Roper v Simmons

established minimum age for death penalty is 18

Kent v United States

juveniles have the right to due process before being transferred to adult court

William Penn

created the “Great Law” influenced by Quaker beliefs

incapacitation

preventing crime by removing offenders from society

rehabilitation

focuses on changing offender behavior; success depends on offender’s willingness

prison classification process

assessing inmate risk and needs to determine placement and treatment

types of prison security levels

minimum, medium, maximum, supermax

supermax prisons

holds the most dangerous offenders (violent, escape risk, gang leaders)

status offense, juvenile

an act illegal only for minors (runaway, curfew violation)

formal processing

handled in court by a judge

informal processing

handled outside court (diversion programs, counseling). most used for juveniles

parens patriae

the state acts at the “parent” for juveniles

early 19th century view of children

children were considered chattel (property of parents)

juvenile jurisdiction limits

most states set upper age at 17 or 18. 3 states

veterans court

a problem-solving court focused on treatment for military veterans

delinquent offense

an illegal action committed by a minor that would be considered a crime if committed by an adult

Miller v Alabama

ruled that mandatory life without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional