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Icons placed near relevant discussions in the main text refer back to the steps of the criminal justice system.
A criminal act is an action that violates criminal law and is subject to punishment by the state.
An investigation involves studying evidence and facts to identify, find, and ultimately prove the guilt of individuals believed to have committed a crime.
Arrest is a suspect's formal entry into the criminal justice system. It is the first of a series of steps that may ultimately result in some penalty.
Booking is also known as processing; it involves making or updating an administrative record of an arrestee.
An initial appearance is a defendant’s first appearance before a judge.
A grand jury hearing is a court hearing in which prosecutors appear before grand jurors to explain why the case should continue to be prosecuted. A preliminary hearing is a hearing in which prosecutors appear before a judge to explain why a case should continue to be pursued or prosecuted.
An arraignment is a court hearing in which the accused again hears the charges against him or her and enters a plea.
Two types of trials are offered to defendants: Bench trials and jury trials. Bench trials are an expedited form of jury trials in which judges replace the use of jurors. Jury trials involve the use of laypersons (jurors) who are carefully evaluated to determine if they can be unbiased in hearing the evidence presented by the prosecution and defense before deciding whether the accused should be found guilty or not guilty.
A sentence seeks to either rehabilitate (or "cure" offenders), incapacitate (physically prevent offenders from committing crimes again), offer retribution (revenge), deter (dissuade offenders from committing crimes again), or restore (return offenders and society to their prior conditions).
Corrections includes the supervision of individuals who are in the adjudication process and may be in jail, released on bail, undergoing diversion programs, serving intermediate sanctions, incarcerated, or on probation or parole.
An appeal is a request for appellate courts to review trial court proceedings to ensure that proper procedures were followed and the punishment was just.