Chapter 10: Pretrial Procedures Flashcards
Discovery
Defense attorney’s opportunity to examine the case against the defendant during the Pretrial stage.
Defense attorney may wish to have ____________ the ______________plans to use against the _____________ suppressed via the ____________ ___________.
evidence; prosecution; defendant; exclusionary rule
At What Stage Does the Criminal Process Begin
Arrest or Complaint.
Complaint Document
Filed by Police, Prosecutor, or Private Citizen.
Used as the charging document during the suspect’s preliminary hearing
At what stage does the criminal process USUALLY begin?
Arrest
______________ are made by ___________ _____________ who have reason to believe, based on ______________ ______________, that a ____________ has been committed and that the person being _______________ either _________________ the crime or was involved in the ________________ ___________. ______________ can also be made by _________ _____________ under what’s known as a “____________ ____________.”
Arrests; police officers; probable cause; crime; arrested; committed; criminal activity; Arrests; private citizens; “citizens arrest”
True or False: A police officer must be issued a warrant to make an arrest?
False
(Police officers may make arrest with or without arrest warrants).
Affidavit
- must be filled out to obtain a search/arrest warrant
- police officer must document facts relied on that led to probable cause.
Probable Cause
The amount of proof a police officer must have to search or arrest someone.
Booking is the next stage of the ________________ _______________. This includes…
- Filling out ____________ that records ____________ was arrested.
- Recording the ____________ of the alleged _______________.
- Taking ____________
- Taking ____________
The _________________ is then placed in a _____________ __________, where he may contact _______________ or an ________________. They’re oftentimes ________________ if the _______________ is considered _____________ and there’s no question of whether or not the _______________ will show in court.
criminal process; paperwork; who; time; offense; fingerprints; photographs; suspect; holding cell; family; attorney; released; offense; minor; defendant
Bordenkircher v. Hayes (1978)
As long as the prosecutor has probable cause to believe the accused (defendant) is guilty of the crimes defined by statute, the decision of whether or not to prosecute (charge) is left to him.
2 Reasons the Prosecutor may dismiss charges
- If the prosecutor believes the defendant is not guilty of the crimes charged.
- Prosecutor represents govt. and must seek justice. If the defendant’s actions don’t reflect the charge, the case shouldn’t be pursued. - If there’s not a guarantee the case will end in a conviction.
4 distinct prosecutorial policies
1) Legal Sufficiency
2) Trial Sufficiency
3) System Efficiency
4) Defendant Rehabilitation
Legal Sufficiency Policy
Prosecutor takes cases where all legal elements of crime are present.
Trial Sufficiency Policy
Prosecutors evaluate likelihood that case will end in a conviction.
(file charges only if odds of case ending in a conviction are good).
System Efficiency Policy
Emphasizes decreasing office workload
Defendant Rehabilitation Policy
Believes first time offenders charged with non-violent crime shouldn’t be processed through criminal justice system,
and seek noncriminal justice alternatives.
Victim Impact Program (VIP)
Founded in Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
prosecute sex crimes vertically
In sexual assault cases in LA, the ________________ is not charged without ________________ of the ______________’s testimony, ___________ evidence of the perpetrator, _______________ to the victim, _____________ who can corroborate the _______________’s testimony, or ____________/_____________ evidence consistent with the ______________’s testimony.
suspect; corroboration; victim’s; DNA; injuries; witnesses; victim’s; physical/medical; victim’s
What kind of sexual assault cases are usually rejected
He said/She said cases
(where perpetrator said it was consensual, and victim said it wasn’t consensual.)
In sexual assault cases, prosecutors are able to “_____________ ______________” by taking cases where the ___________ of a ___________ is good.
“avoid uncertainty”; likelihood; conviction
The decision to ____________ is more likely among ____________ in _____________ and ______________ cases where the ____________ is ______-________, specifically when the ____________ is __________ and the victim is _________.
charge; prosecutors; homicide; sexual assault; suspect; non-white; defendant; black; white
Research indicates prosecutors are more likely to charge _______ and those who are _________________.
men; unemployed
Prosecutors are more likely to take cases given to them by the __________ more seriously than ____________ - invoked complaints. Attorneys pursue _____________ more _____________ when the case is from a __________ __________. Cases handed to them by ___________ stand a slim chance of getting to the ___________ stage.
police; citizen; charges; aggressively; police officer; citizens; charging
Downstream Orientation
Prosecutors choose cases based on likelihood of conviction.
In deciding to take the case, prosecutors predict how the judge & jury will interpret (perceive) the defendant, victim, and incident.
In making the charging decision, the prosecution pays attention to BOTH the ___________ and the __________ of the ____________.
defendant; behavior; victim
____________ to a ___________’s decision to not file charges is rarely challenged. ______________ ______________ should be avoided when the prosecutor decides not to formally _____________. This suggest criminal justice officials should _________ to the prosecutor’s judgement of whether or not to __________.
Challenges; prosecutor’s; Judicial oversight; charge; defer; charge.
Bordenkircher v. Hayes (1978) ruled that a ___________’s ____________ ____________ cannot be based on _________, ________, ___________ or other arbitrary ____________.
Prosecutor’s charging decision; race; gender; religion; classifications
(or for vindictive reasons [to retaliate/revenge])
Charges based on _____________ reasoning (for _________, or to __________ due to the outcome of the first trial) violates a ____________’s ____th Amendment right to _______ __________.
vindictive; revenge; retaliate; defendant’s; 14; Due Process
T/F: It violates a defendant’s right to Due Process under the law if the Prosecutor threatens the defendant with more serious charges during the pretrial phase?
False
(new evidence may arise that warrants a more extreme charge by the prosecution).
Information
(Substitute document for indictment)
Lists the charges the defendant is facing
Outlines facts of the case and elements of the offense charged.
Why is information more efficient than an indictment argument?
indictment requires a grand jury to be constructed
information does not.
Indictment
5th Amendment right (defendant must be indicted by a grand jury)