Chapter 12: Initiation of the Legal Process, Bail, and the Right to Counsel Flashcards
After police conduct formal __________ and __________ and ___________, the question becomes whether or not to pursue any further _______________ of the crime. Law enforcement may opt to ___________ any investigation if there is a ____________ of evidence, or if the crime was considered a ____________ violation of law. But officers may choose to continue the investigation and focus on other potential ______________. Officers may also decide that a _____________ is enough to deter someone from breaking the law again, or may ______________ someone from prison, who they believe have served ___________ time as punishment.
arrest; search; seizure; investigation; drop; lack; minor; suspects; warning; release; enough
_____________ is the most ____________ individual in the criminal justice system. He has the power to ___________ a defendant, decide ___________ to charge him with, and chooses whether or not to offer a __________ ___________. He may also recommend the defendant to a ____________ program or _______________ counseling for some other purpose rather than to prosecute the individual.
Prosecutor; powerful; charge; what; plea bargain; diversion; psychological
In Wayte v. U.S., (1985), it was decided that the _____________ has ____________ discretion to deciding whether or not to ____________, and what to _____________ the defendant with, as long has the charges are based on ____________ ______________ to believe the accused has committed a crime within the definition of state ______________.
prosecutor; broad; prosecute; charge; probable cause; statutes
Presumption of Regularity
Prosecutors will not do anything contrary to their duties.
They will honestly, fairly, and responsibly exercise their authority.
Why is it that the court recognizes the prosecutor’s ____________ on whether or not to charge, and yet these decisions are not submitted to / made by a judge?
Separation of Powers: (define)
Discretionary Judgement: (define)
Resources: (define)
Separation of Powers:
- Prosecutor is a part of executive branch, while judge is a part of judicial.
- Judge would prefer to stay out of the everyday decisions of the executive, unless he’s violating state or federal constitution.
Discretionary Judgment:
- Judges lack expertise prosecutors have in the weighing and balancing of factors such as
- strength of evidence,
- personal character of defendant,
- government’s interest in deterring other crimes.
Resources:
- prosecution’s discretion to charge is broad but not unlimited.
- Courts will intervene to ensure prosecutor’s charges aren’t based on selective / vindictive prosecution.
Selective Prosecution
- Violates Equal Protection Clause of 5th and 14th Amendments.
- Protects people from prosecutions based on race, gender, religion, or other fundamental right.
Two Prong Test of Selective Prosecution
- Are members who fall within particular race, gender, religion prosecuted for exercising fundamental right whilst others “similarly situated” who are not apart of those groups not prosecuted for exercise same fundamental rights?
- Is the prosecutorial policy meant to discriminate against the group?
Vindictive Prosecution
- Violates Due Process Clause of 5th and 14th Amendments.
- Protects those people who assert their constitutional rights from retaliation by the government by being charged with more serious crimes.
In Blackledge v. Perry, (1974), the Supreme Court decided that just because a prosecutor ____________ the charges against a defendant to more ____________ charges, doesn’t automatically mean it is a case of _______________ prosecution. The Supreme Court ruled, that during the course of ____-_________ investigation, the prosecutor may find more evidence that elicits / justifies more ____________ charges.
increases; serious; vindictive; pre-trial; serious
First step for prosecutors after police have formally arrested suspect w/o an _____________ warrant or without bringing the defendant before a ___________ __________ to be ______________ is a court hearing to determine whether there is ____________ _____________ to keep suspect detained for an extended period of time. This is called a _____________ hearing.
arrest; grand jury; indicted; probable cause; Gerstein
In Gerstein v. Hugh, (1975), the Supreme Court ruled a Florida law that allowed the police to detain a suspect for a month or more ____________ taking him before a judge to establish probable cause is an _____________ restraint on ___________ in violation of the 4th Amendment.
The Court ruled it is the Court’s responsibility to determine _____________ ______________, and defendants are to be brought before a judge “______________” to conduct a “non-adversarial” ______________ ______________ hearing.
before; unreasonable; liberty
probable; “promptly”; probable cause
Probable Cause Hearing
Hearing to determine whether there is probable cause to detain a suspect.
In County of Riverside v. McLaughlin, (1991), the Supreme Court ruled that _______ hours is a _____________ period of time in which to conduct the ___________ _________ hearing. This _____ hr. limit balances the need to the government to conduct the ________ __________ hearing and doesn’t take the suspect away from his personal life responsibilities including his __________, making ____________ for too long.
Court also ruled that the ___________ ____________ standard to ____________ people is ALSO the same _________ ___________ standard necessary to ______________ someone (i.e. based on facts within one’s knowledge and trustworthy information, one has reason to believe that a crime has been, or is being committed, and that the person being arrested committed the crime).
48; reasonable; probable cause; 48; probable cause; job; income
probable cause; detain; probable cause; arrest
First Appearance
- First step after formally arresting defendant.
- aka, Initial Appearance
- bringing defendant before a judge to be warned of the charges against him & be informed of his right to legal counsel.
The First Appearance is only triggered by the prosecution first filing a ____________ document.
complaint
Complaint document
- Prosecutor may or may not decide to charge.
- If he decides to charge, he files a complaint document.
- Document stating the charges against the defendant, and in particularly what portion of the offense is being charged against him.
Supreme Court ruled that defendants are to be brought before a judge following the arrest without delay, which may be 48 hours, (__________ v. ___________), and also ruled that confessions obtained from suspect may be inadmissible if the suspect is not brought before a judge within a reasonable amount of time (__________ v. ______, and ____________ v. ______).
Riverside; McLaughlin; McNabb; U.S., Mallory; U.S.
Purposes of First Appearance (4)
- Defendant is informed of __________ against him.
-
Constitutional Rights: Defendant is informed of…
- ____________ rights,
- entitlement to a _____________ and to consult his _____________,
- option of _____-__________ release,
- right against _________ ______________,
- right to have ____________ obtained evidence suppressed.
- Pretrial Release: it’s determined during first appearance whether or not defendant is __________ for release from __________ before trial, and sets the _________ amount or any condition on which his release is permitted.
- Attorney: _____________ defendants are appointed an attorney.
charges
Miranda; lawyer; lawyer; pre-trial; self incrimination; unlawfully
eligible; custody; bail
indigent
In County Riverside v. McLaughlin, (1991), the Court was presented with a question as to the constitutionality of a Riverside, California law that states defendants arrested without a ____________ must be brought before a judge without undue __________, which in some extreme cases could be ____ days. However, this ____ day extreme never accounted for ___________ or ____________. So, if you’re arrested w/o a warrant during a _____________ vacation period or during the _____________, then you may not receive a ________________ _______________ hearing until after ____ days.
Enter Donald Lee McLaughlin, who in August 1987, filed complaint in District Court of California, ordering that he, and all others similarly situated as him, be given injunctive and declaratory _____________. Respondent’s complaint document suggested he, and 3 others, had been arrested w/o a ________________ ,incarcerated, and still hadn’t received a ____________ _____________ determination hearing.
In 1989, Respondent entered another request to the District Court, requesting preliminary injunctive relief from current Riverside County arraignment laws, and wanted an order from the court stating that people arrested without a ______________ are taken before a judge without delay in a period of _____ hours. District Court sided with Respondent, and claimed the County’s current practices were inconsistent with the Gerstein ruling.
Supreme Court ruled that Gerstein gave defendant’s the right to understand the ____________ _____________ on which they were arrested without _____________. This determination of _____________ ____________ must be made ____________. The Court established that a jurisdiction that provides ____________ _____________ determinations within ______ hours of arrest generally comply with the “______________” requirement in Gerstein.
That’s not a hardline rule, btw, the Court says just because a ____________ ____________ determination takes place within ________ hours of arrest, that doesn’t make it reasonable, it could be proven that there was unnecessary, ______________ delay during that ______ hr. period.
If the time between the _________ and the ___________ __________ determination hearing takes more than ________ hours, then the burden of proof falls on the ____________ to prove that there was some emergency or circumstances which reasonably required the time be _____________, and weekends aren’t a good enough excuse.
Jurisdictions are also free to combine the ______________ _____________ determination hearing with the ________________ process, but it must happen within ______ hrs. of a defendant’s arrest.
warrant; delay; 2; 2; holidays; weekends; holiday; weekend; probable cause; 5
relief; warrant; probable cause
warrant; 36
probable cause; delay; probable cause; promptly; probable cause; 48; “promptness”
probable cause; 48; unreasonable; 48
arrest; probable cause; 48; government; extended
probable cause; arraignment; 48
Bail
bond of money posted as a condition for pre-trial release.