CRI 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Jury Nullification, Merit System, Affidavit
Document Summary
The jury, the judge, and judicial decision making: most influential player in the courtroom workgroup, ensures that proper procedures are followed and that the defendant"s and state"s rights are protected. The referee : decides all legal (as opposed to factual) matters before the court, maintains decorum in the courtroom, determines the appropriate sentence for any conviction (trial or plea) Accepts guilty pleas: sets bail for those accused of criminal offenses, issues warrants. Search warrants (a law enforcement officer typically presents an affidavit trying to establish probable cause: conducts hearings, presides over pretrial motions. Sometimes occurs in more highly technical or sensitive cases. Very rarely occurs: federal judges can be removed or impeached. Requires impeachment by the house of representatives and a trial in the. Confirmed by the senate: state judges. Removes politics from the process: some critics claim that judges are appointed based on experience and scholarship, but most of the time, it"s politics.
