Justice, crime, and ethics

Criminal Justice

Justice, Crime and Ethics

Justice, Crime and Ethics centers on the law, including lawyers, prosecutors, sentencing, punishment, and the death penalty. This section of the text examines lawyers, what is "morally good," and some of the traits of a morally good person, and how these traits translate into good, ethical, and effective lawyers. The role lawyers perform is discussed, and the ideas of an effective lawyer are by the way they represent their client, which is their ultimate duty. Lawyers are required to perform certain functions in defense of their clients, and that is their primary duty. Unfortunately, this may lead to moral shortcomings on the part of some lawyers. The best lawyers manage to blend their duty with their sense of morality so they can serve their clients while still maintaining their ethical standards. This chapter on lawyers poses many thorny issues that anyone who hopes to become a lawyer must deal with. It is how they deal with them that will truly show what kind of lawyer they will become, and how effective they will really be. It poses several cases where the lawyer will have to make tough decisions that may go against the best needs of his client or the court, and makes the reader really think about what they would do in a similar situation.

Each chapter defines certain criminal justice personnel or cases, and gives the reader information they will need to think about as they enter into their own chosen careers in criminal justice. Can they be fair trial prosecutors? Can they be moral and yet effective lawyers? Can some criminals or suspected criminals receive a fair trial in today's courts? Do certain punishments really fit the crimes that are committed? Is the death penalty really a deterrent to violent crime? The case studies at the end of each chapter also make the reader think quite deeply about these issues, and answer questions in their own mind so they know where they stand on these important and complex issues. It is clear that the criminal justice system is not perfect, and the text gives some good information on what may be done to combat some of the problems with the criminal justice system, and how it may be overhauled in the future.

Courtroom misconduct seems to be a thorny issue in some areas of criminal justice. Some attorneys simply seem to enjoy outrageous conduct when it comes to proving the innocence of their client, and some simply relish the feeling of power they have in the courtroom environment. Giving attorneys too much power can lead to problems in the courtroom and in the justice system. The debate over punishment that fits the crime and the death penalty also seem like debates that will rage for a long time, no matter what happens in the criminal justice system. There are always going to be cases where a minor criminal is sentenced to a punishment that seems much bigger than the crime they committed, and there will always be people opposed and in support of the death penalty. These chapters show that the criminal justice system is not perfect, and that reforms could help create a better, more workable system, but they also show that there will always be some who do not approve of certain methods, punishments, and actions in the courtroom, and that is impossible to please everyone all the time.