ADULT A

ND JUVENILE

JUSTI

CE SYS

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ABOUT TH

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SYSTE

M• Adult system deals with adults (17+ ) • Civil and Criminal law • Criminal – felonies or misdemeanors Civil – disputes between two people• Defendant, goes in front of jury or judge.

Summ

ary

Felony

• Serious crimes like murder, rape, or grand theft

• Minimum sentence of 1 yr.

• Capital Crimes are crimes punishable by death

Misdemeanor

• less serious crimes like assault

• punishments = fine or less jail time

FELONY/MISDEMEANOR

Step 1: Pretrial

1a. Arrest – person is detained

1b. Booking – make record of arrest

1c. Initial Appearance – set bail and charges explained

1d. Preliminary hearing – judge determines probably cause

1e. Grand jury indictment – jury decides if there is enough evidence to charge

1f. Arraignment- suspects enters pleas, if guilty, goes straight to sentencing.

1g. Possible plea bargain – process of negotiation. May plead guilty to lesser crime.

3 MAIN STEPS

Step 2: Trial

1. Jury selection

2. Opening statements

3. Presentation of evidence

4. Closing statements

5. Jury deliberation and verdict

6. Sentencing

STEPS CONTINUED

Step 3: Appeals Process Purpose: defendant maintains his/her innocence or if court made a mistake. If court of appeals overturns ruling, it goes back to Superior Court for new trial. GA’s 2 Courts of Appeal: • Supreme Court • Court of Appeals

APPEALS PROCESS

Settling Disputes Peacefully • rather than using courts, there are several ways to settle disputes peacefully. Examples: Mediationarbitration, compromise negotiationcollaboration How does the judicial branch fulfill its role? • Interpreting Laws • Ensuring justice

SETTLING DISPUTES

JUVENILE

COURT

S

Why were Juvenile courts created?

1. Children are not always fully responsible

2. Juveniles may need to be protected

3. Juveniles should not be sentenced as adults

Status offense:

an offense that would not be a crime if committed by an adult.

Ex: child refuses to go to school, running away from home, caught with alcohol in hand

Delinquent Behavior:

committing a crime (it’d be a crime, even if an adult committed it)

Ex: robbery, vandalism, DUI, drug offenses

STATUS OFFENSE/DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR

Juvenile rights:

(specific to juveniles) • Right to a private

trial • Right to have

parents present• different

terminology• more of a spirit of

rehabilitation than punishment

Jurisdiction of the juvenile courts:

over children less than 17 yrs. old or deprived 18 yr. olds

JUVENILE RIGHTS

Steps in the Juvenile justice process:

1. Intake

2. Detention hearing

3. Adjudicatory hearing

4. Dispositional hearing

Informal adjustment:

A period of time where a child is under careful oversight of court.

STEPS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE PROCESS

1. murder

2. aggravated sexual battery

3. voluntary manslaughter

4. aggravated molestation

5. armed robbery

6. aggravated sodomy

7. rape

If you are accused: transferred to superior court to be tried as an adult.

Possible consequences up to : life in prison

7 DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS (DEADLY SINS LAW)