Scenario: You have just begun your first job in the criminal justice system as a victim’s advocate for the prosecutor’s office at your local county. Review the What Is a Victim Advocate? job description for more information.
You have been assigned Virginia Sufferer as your first person to guide through the criminal justice process from beginning through trial. She was the victim of an alleged burglary at her place of residence. Defendant Accused was arrested by warrant after Sufferer picked him out of a line up after seeing him leaving her apartment on the day of the burglary. Accused was known to the police for his prior arrests and convictions for the sale of narcotics. Police searched his home when they served the arrest warrant and found two pieces of jewelry that belonged to Sufferer. Accused was interrogated at the police station and did not admit to the crime. When questioning began at the police station, Accused asked to speak to a lawyer, but no attorney was provided.
You will present a paper that details the entire criminal justice process for a felony criminal charge for Ms. Sufferer’s benefit to understand what to expect as her case moves through the system. Make sure that you explain how the system seeks to balance effectiveness of the system, in your opinion, and provide her with your opinions on how the system can be improved.
In your paper,
Summarize all of the steps between arrest, pre-trial, trial, and appeals for the victim.
Explain to Ms. Sufferer the contingencies for each stage of the proceedings.
Address all possible outcomes.
Analyze the constitutional protections that Accused’s lawyer may be able to use as a defense at each stage of the proceeding.
Evaluate for the victim both the effectiveness of the system in dealing with criminal prosecutions
Express your ideas for changes or improvements to the system.
Provide Ms. Sufferer your recommendations to make the system fairer for all those involved.
