The criminal justice process consists of the procedures public officials follow in the course of imposing criminal punishment. Criminal justice specialists commonly distinguish the investigatory and adjudicatory stages of the process. Cases must come to the attention of officials before an investigation can begin, the boundaries separating the two stages are occasionally blurred, and the same officials may be involved in both investigation and adjudication. Despite these important qualifications, the investigatory/adjudicatory classification remains quite useful.
DONALD DRIPPS
See also ADVERSARY SYSTEM; APPEAL; ARRAIGNMENT; BURDEN OF PROOF; CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: CONSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS; DISCOVERY; FEDERAL CRIMINAL JURISDICTION; GRAND JURY; GUILTY PLEA: ACCEPTING THE PLEA; GUILTY PLEA: PLEA BARGAINING; HABEAS CORPUS; INFORMAL DISPOSITION; JURY: LEGAL ASPECTS; PRELIMINARY HEARING; SENTENCING: ALLOCATION OF AUTHORITY; SENTENCING: ALTERNATIVES; SENTENCING: DISPARITY; SENTENCING: GUIDELINES; SENTENCING: MANDATORY AND MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES; SENTENCING: PRESENTENCE REPORT; SENTENCING: PROCEDURAL PROTECTION; TRIAL, CRIMINAL.
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