Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

Introduction

Felony is one of the many serious crimes in the countries where common law is prevalent. The term felony comes from the common law of England, where the property of a person who was convicted of a charge was confiscated. Felony criminal charge is a crime which involves confiscating the property of a person who is convicted of a crime. A person who is convicted of a charge of a felony is called a felon. Many of the countries where common law is prevalent have abolished the distinction of felony. In the United States of America, the distinction of a felony is still applied. The federal government of the United States of America defines felony as a crime which is punishable by imprisonment of more than a year, or by death. It is classified as a misdemeanor if the charge is punishable by a year or less. Many states differ in the definition, and they may use other categories like context or seriousness for the charge of felony. There are a number of crimes which come under the charge of felony. They include arson, vandalism of federal property, battery, aggravated assault, burglary and illegal drugs. A criminal justice system includes all the practices, as well as, institutions which fall under the government. They are directed and responsible for upholding mitigation and social control. The criminal justice system is also responsible for sanctioning the individuals who are convicted of crimes and violating laws and regulations. The criminal justice system is also responsible for the rehabilitation of the individuals who have been convicted. There is a certain procedure which is applied in the cases of felony where the criminal justice institutions carry out fair and just ruling of the case.

Discussion

There are a number of stages in the criminal justice process for a felony crime. All the stages involved in the criminal justice process are closely interlinked and interdependent. The first stage in the criminal justice process for a felony crime is generally the investigation of the criminal. The process ends with the release of the criminal or felon, after making him undergo a period of correctional supervision. The stages of the criminal justice process for a felony crime are discussed in detail below.

Arrest of the Criminal/ Felon

The person who is accused is arrested after investigations against the criminal, which are enough to prove that he is guilty or related to a particular crime. Police officers usually carry out the arrests. The arrest is made upon the presentation of a legal arrest warrant. This arrest warrant allows the police to hold the culprit in their custody to await the court hearings.

The process of arrest cannot be completed if the rights of the suspect or the accused are not read out to him. This is known as the Miranda Rights which state that any information which is obtained and collected at the point and moment of arrest cannot be used as an evidence against the accused if the arresting authority rights ...