Key Concepts on Prosecutors and Discretion in the Criminal Justice System

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to prosecutors and their discretion within the criminal justice system.

Prosecutor

A legal representative who brings charges against individuals accused of crimes.

Discretion

The power or right to make decisions according to one's own judgment.

Indictment

A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime, determined by a grand jury.

Grand Jury

A group of citizens convened to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.

Probable Cause

The reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime, which must be established before an arrest or indictment.

Exculpatory Evidence

Evidence that may prove a defendant's innocence.

Discriminatory Prosecution

A prosecutorial practice that unfairly targets individuals based on race, gender, or other improper criteria.

Selective Prosecution

The decision by prosecutors to pursue particular cases over others, potentially influenced by improper motives.

Pretextual Prosecution

Charging someone with a minor offense to investigate or threaten them regarding a more serious offense.

Caveat

A warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.

Public Corruption

Illegal actions taken by public officials that violate their duties to the public.

Town Gown Conflict

Tension between a college or university and the local community.

Screaming Device

Procedural safeguards to prevent unjust prosecutions, such as grand juries and preliminary hearings.

Plea Bargaining

An agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor, where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge.

Causation

Establishing a direct link between a defendant's actions and the resultant harm or crime.

Victim's Right to Know

The principle that victims have an interest in the prosecution and the outcomes thereof.