Scales of Justice

The Founding Fathers established the U.S. with special laws that give citizens the freedom that the British had denied to them. When they traveled to the country, the documents that the Founding Fathers wrote permitted them freedom of speech and freedom of religion. However, the Bill of Rights also grants citizens the right to a fair trial. Many judges have abused this right by creating their own opinions on cases before they have heard all the evidence against both sides. This principle, called judicial discretion, has helped weigh down the standard system of the scales of justice. Because of these judges, many people perceive the judicial system as “tilted” and do not appreciate the many judges who obey their own laws. Many kinds of judicial discretion exist, but there are a few styles that overpower the others in disgust from members of the community.

Countless versions and cases of judicial discretion have emerged over the years of the judicial system. However, the case of general judicial discretion exists as the category that ends up mistreating many citizens in the U.S. The court system defines judicial discretion as “the inherent power of the judiciary to make legal decisions according to their discretion” (“Dictionary”). This simply means that a judge may adjudicate a case in his courtroom as long as the sentence he gives is within reason (“Dictionary). However, many judges take this out of context and use it to their malicious advantage. The judge can dismiss or overrule a jury if he believes that a stricter, or lighter sentence in necessary. He may choose not only the guilt of the criminal, but he also may decide how long they deserve to be in prison. Many more cases have emerged where judges have given too light o...

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