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Crime and the Criminal Justice System

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Crime and the Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system and the process have molded the laws of the United States to its current existence. The judicial system is designed to punish those who commit crimes against one another and for those who break the laws in other ways. According to Pearson (2012), crime can be defined as conduct in violation of the state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction for which there is no legally acceptable justification or excuse. Pearson (2012) also states, that “crime” depends on where you are, which means it is a daily routine for society and directly affects a person, place, and any witnesses associated with it. The American criminal justice system has many elements with crime as the major one. In essence, if there were no crime, there would be no need for a criminal justice system. The intention of this paper is to describe the elements of the criminal justice system and the process it goes through to prosecute a criminal. The research conducted will also describe the government structure and its relevance to the criminal justice system, the diverse elements, and the role law enforcement has with aiding society in maintaining social order and guidance. Law enforcement has many levels in America. There are federal, state, local police agencies, with the same goal of stopping crime, arresting suspects, and completing investigations when crimes are committed. Nevertheless, police are accountable for so much more than people realize. Law enforcement would rather crimes not occur, and for this reason, agencies increase their funding trying to deter criminals or prevent crime (Schmalleger, 2011). In this post-9/11 world, law enforcement is also responsible at all levels for preventing another terrorist attack. Anyone who has visited Washington DC will notice the subway stations are patrolled by heavily-armed

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