Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on criminal justice process investigation
Explain how a professional relationship is different from a personal relationship
Criminal investigation and evidence
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay on criminal justice process investigation
On February 27th, 2014 I had the pleasure to interview Detective Vincent Velazquez who was referred to me by Professor Paul Guerrucci. Vincent currently works at the Atlanta Police Department located in 226 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303. On the day of the interview, I was a little anxious since this was actually the first time I interview a crime investigator, however Vincent was very professional and he allowed me to record the entire conversation. I was able to ask questions about his personal life, full details of his profession, current case assignments, criminal investigation procedures and existing problems in the investigation process. Detective Vincent was born in New York and his ethnicity is Puerto Rican. Vincent is divorced and has a nineteen-year old son who is attending college in Pennsylvania. His son is into music production. Ever since Vincent became a crime detective, his life perception has changed gradually. He became cynical and less trustworthy. Vincent states, “You expect the worst from people.” Nevertheless, his family and friends have treated him the same since he became a law enforcement officer. Some of his hobbies are traveling around the world, visiting social restaurants especially at happy hour and just hanging out with his family. Life as a crime investigator may have its benefits as to how people treats him, and in some cases he may get out of a traffic ticket just by showing his badge. Vincent’s favorite cuisine is Thai food, his favorite color is purple and his favorite sport team is Atlanta Hawks. Detective Velazquez doesn’t like to watch CSI or Law Order shows. Instead, he prefers to watch real housewives of Atlanta. After I learned a little about his personal life, I transitioned our c... ... middle of paper ... ...im and there are no leads. However when he does have to go to a crime scene, there are crime specialists that are civilians who photograph and collect evidence at his direction. Normally they collect all the evidence, but if there are extreme amounts of evidence to pick up, then he will put gloves on and collect evidence. The investigator always waits for them to get there before any evidence is collected or photograph. Although some law enforcement agencies hired civilians to handle the crime scene processing and forensics, it is more common that the CSI is a licensed peace officer with specialized training that is part of an investigative unit (Orthmann & Hess, 22). If there is weapon at the crime scene, only the investigator can touch the weapon. (Velazquez). Vincent brings his evidence back to his office along with his notes and starts the investigation process.
In a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, the former NYPD detective’s bombshell testimony, described in detail the police culture of the Brooklyn South and Queens
I wanted to look at the investigative and criminal procedures following the arrest of an alleged criminal and the powerful effects via testimonies and evidence (or lack thereof) it can have on a case.There is an importance of the courts in regards to crime that can’t be over looked. The primary function of the criminal justice system is to uphold the established laws, which define what we understand as deviant in this society.
I was sitting in the old rickety chair that looked as if it had been there for five years. The smell of gunpowder hung in the morning air as I leaned over the rifle rest. My finger wrapped around the trigger as my eye focused through the scope of my grandfather’s Springfield ’03. I took a deep breath and let half out. My finger tightened on the trigger as I awaited the recoil and crack of the gunpowder igniting. Finally, when my finger’s pull was enough to move the trigger, the gun went off. Moments like this are why I love shooting guns.
The individuals within our society have allowed we the people to assess and measure the level of focus and implementation of our justice system to remedy the modern day crime which conflict with the very existence of our social order. Enlightening us to the devices that will further, establish the order of our society, resides in our ability to observe the Individual’s rights for public order.
Lyman, D. Michael; Criminal Investigation, The Art and Science; 3rd edition, 2002 Prentice Hall. Pgs. 188-200.
...SI: An Unauthorized Look Inside the Crime Labs of Las Vegas, Miami, and New York. Dallas: BenBella Books, 2006. 20-41. Print.
We will examine the case of NYPD Narcotics Detective Frank Serpico, who was regarded as a snitch and a rat by fellow officers who were on the take, and complete a what would you do dilemma. Serpico's original intent was not to be a "whistleblower" within the Department, but rather all he wanted to do initially was to be a Police Officer and not accept any bribes, payoffs, or favors as a result of his professional position within the community (Petit, 2011). As a consequence of his testimony before the Knapp Commission in 1971, Serpico was ostracized by his peers as a deviant for being conscientious; ergo, although it cannot be proven, it is believed that he was ultimately set up to be shot during a drug raid in which he was seriously wounded. To this day, Frank Serpico questions why fellow cops never called in a code 10-13 officer down after he took a bullet in the face on Feb. 3, 1971 (McShane, 2012).
The process of using behavioral evidence left at a crime scene to make inferences about the offender, including inferences about personality characteristics and psychopathology is called criminal profiling. Around the country, several agencies rely on the minds of criminal psychologists to lead them in the right direction to finding the correct offender. Criminal profiling provides investigators with knowledge of the appearance and behavior of a potential criminal.
CSIs must photograph/sketch crime scenes, take measurements, make observations, testify against criminals in court, and collect, pack, label, document, and analyze evidence (Career Cruising). All of these tasks CSIs must complete, require them to handle a variety of tools including: cameras, tripods, flashlights, notepads, utensils to collect physical evidence, measuring tapes, rulers, microscopes, fingerprinting kits, and even guns in some cases (Career Cruising). CSI agents collect to different types of evidence, when they investigate a crime (Byrd). The first type of evidence is testimonial evidence, which is the answers CSIs questioning suspects and witnesses are given (Byrd). Physical evidence, which is the other type of evidence, is any type of three-dimensional evidence collected at a crime scene (Byrd). Although different CSI teams from different areas of the world can consist of multiple branches, including: detectives, technicians, medical examiners, scientists, and lab analysts, they still use forensics, which is science and technology, to investigate crimes (Zullo). There is always crime, but when there are no current cases; CSIs go back to old/previous cases (McFadden).
1. What is the difference between a. and a. Method of inquiry is based on gathering all the facts in a criminal investigation, such as physical evidence, witnesses and records (Osterburg 2010). Methods of inquiry are ways an investigator gathers the information for a particular case they are investigating. In a criminal investigation, the method of inquiry follows five simple words, who, what, when, where, and why, and lastly how. Methods of inquiry can also be very helpful when a crime scene has to be reconstructed.
Every week more than 60 million Americans turn their television sets to tune to the popular crime investigation drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or one of its countless spin offs, which have become increasingly popular among the American public (Shelton, n.d.). The show has been a top rated drama since it was first aired in 2001, it has received several Emmy nominations, and many even claimed it has lead to the considerable increase in college students studying forensic science. Recently however, despite its many achievements several newspapers and magazine articles began warning about the impact the shows influence is having on our criminal justice system; they referred to the phenomenon as the CSI Effect. Max Houck, Director of the Forensic Science Initiative at West Virginia University, explains the CSI effect as “basically the perception of the near-infallibility of forensic science in response to the TV show” ( Podlas, 2010, p. 99). The concern among criminal justice experts and prosecutors is that the so called CSI effect creates unrealistic expectations that every case must be solved with high tech forensic tests, which they believe, has a significant impact on juror decision making. Exposure to the dramatized and fictional depiction of crime solving portrayed by these television shows has had a significant impact on viewer’s conception of reality, which has negatively altered the expectation of jurors and influenced jury verdicts.
I have chosen to use a criminal defense lawyer as my primary legal career for this discussion board. A criminal defense lawyer, is a lawyer who specializes in defending an individual or a company that has been charged with a crime. Criminal defense lawyers have to deal with many different circumstances. For instance, arrests, criminal charges, investigations, sentencing, appeals, and even post-trial issues. However, a lot of criminal defense lawyers will choose to specialize in a certain type of criminal defense. For instance, drug defense, or even DUI defense. Criminal defense lawyers often have to work out substantive issues in connection with their clients supposed crime. Many times criminal defense lawyers will be helping a client even before charges have been filed against them by
Imagine pulling into your driveway and seeing your neighbor’s house surrounded by police, flashing lights, and caution tape with bodies covered in white sheet on the lawn. It was a drive by shooting. Next, a van pulls up and a Criminal Investigator steps out and starts assessing the crime scene. She begins taking photos, marking shell casings, packaging evidence, documenting tire treads on the pavement and inspecting and collecting DNA evidence from the bodies. Criminal Investigators are highly trained college graduates that are a vital part of bringing criminals to justice.
Investigators usually have the freedom to go as they please, whenever they get a new lead or they are going to interview a witness. They often leave without having to inform their supervisor where they are going. This can be problematic if the investigator abuses this privilege of autonomy and uses the freedom to do personal things while they are supposed to be working. There has got to be some kind of accountability for the investigators without hampering their creativity and imaginations in the investigation (McDevitt 2005).
Vicchio, Stephen. “Ethics and Police Integrity.” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. July 1997: 8-12. EBSCOhost. Web. 12 Nov 2013