American Judicial System

Essay # 57786

Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections
Public Administration

An examination of whether the American judicial system favors the criminal or not.

1,449 words () | 13 sources | APA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

Lawmakers are striving on a daily basis to establish strict laws for the punishment of juvenile offenders, despite beliefs that the American judicial system shows favoritism to the criminal. This paper examines how the American judicial system does not favor the criminal and states that the system is continuing its efforts to allow the imprisonment of offenders of all ages, as well as impose harsh punishments on those who commit drug and violent crimes.

From the Paper:

"According to Butterfield (1996), as crime in America appears to be on the decline, reports from law enforcement officials indicate violent crimes are expected to rise. In the opinion of many American citizens, the American judicial system treats criminals as victims indicating favoritism towards the criminal. According to Reidinger (1996), the American judicial system has taken an attitude that "perpetrators not only deserve blame but are worthy of it, in the fullest, most human sense of the word" (p. 98). In actuality, the American judicial system imposes strict penalties in the majority of criminal defense cases in this country, despite the Americans' belief that it favors the criminal. Youthful Offenders Due to an increase in crime in the United States, the general public holds a mistaken notion of leniency toward our youthful offenders. As an example, underage students on college campuses continue consuming alcohol at alarming rates; yet the majority of colleges fine students rather than pressing charges and allowing them to face legal punishment. In a recent article entitled Murder at an Early Age, Adler (1998) advises that psychologists maintain the theory that a young child who commits a cold-blooded rape and murder cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality leaving the impression to the general public that the child has gotten away with murder. In his article, Adler (1998) reports that according to the Justice Department, all states may now charge juveniles as adults. This gives judges and prosecutors the power to file major youth felony cases in adult courts."