Criminal Justice System

1. The Criminal Justice System consists of three major functional units. They are Agencies of Police, Courts, and Corrections. Following is the purpose of each:
A. Police agencies are generally responsible for the investigation of a criminal event and based
on the results of said investigation, request arrest warrants, affect the arrest and place the offender in lockup, prepare all reports and present reports and evidence to the District Attorney for prosecution. Police Officers are required to present oral testimony at the offender’s trial.
B. The Courts consists of Attorneys, their staff, and judges and their staff. The District Attorney must make the decision on what charges are filed based on information provided by Police agencies. Judges must review all reports and evidence to insure proper procedures have been followed prior to issuing warrants for arrest. Once the offender has been arrested, he is granted an initial appearance before a judge for possible ...