Court history and Purpose

Essay by princess_usaUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, July 2013

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Running head: COURT HISTORY AND PURPOSE � PAGE \* Arabic �1� COURT HISTORY AND PURPOSE � PAGE \* Arabic �2�

Court History and Purpose

CJA/224 - Introduction to Criminal Court System

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Court History and Purpose

Courts are a critical part of the criminal justice system. They are based on the English common law system and are generally organized in a three-tiered hierarchy. Although all American court systems, follow this essential arrangement there are differences between them and all have exceptions. While each has its own exceptions, it is imperative to stress that they all follow the same basic structure.

Court and its Purpose

It is essential to maintain separate systems when dealing with criminal cases. These individual systems include the police, the courts, and the corrections. Depending on the circumstance, some cases are held at a state level and others at a federal level. The purpose of the court system is to provide a setting in which disputes are settled and justice is administered in accordance with the rule of the law.

The courts generally consist of a judge, a prosecutor, and a defense attorney. The judge is the person who is appointed to oversee the case and offer the final decision to dispose of a case. The prosecutor is the person who is representing the state or government in the case and the defense attorney is the person who is representing the accused. Each party can bring forth their case before the court to determine if the accused is guilty or innocent. The final verdict is usually provided by a third party, either a judge or a jury, who are unbiased. There are two major court systems, the civil courts and the common law courts. Civil law courts are based upon the judicial system in France, while the...