1. Chapter 11 Criminal Justice

2. Learning Objectives
11.1 Identify the right of the accused and of victims
11.2 Distinguish the types of crimes and punishments in Texas criminal law
11.3 Explain the stages of the criminal justice process in Texas
11.4 Evaluate the consequences of postconviction punishment in Texas
11.5 Assess reforms to the Texas criminal justice process

3. Texan Justice Rights of the Accused Victim Rights Probable cause
Search and seizure
Guaranteed by both US Constitution and Texas Constitution
Victim Rights

4. Types of Crimes Misdemeanors Felonies Drug Crimes Juvenile Crime
Class A: most severe
Class C: least severe
Felonies
Drug Crimes
Juvenile Crime
Aged ten to sixteen
Different procedures

5. Criminal Justice Process
Pretrial
Appear before a judge: within 48 hours
Inform accused of the charges
Bail
Contract to release from prison and pay money as promise to return
Arraignment
After charges filed, initial appearance

6. Criminal Justice Process
Trial
Jury selection
Voir dire
Plea
Guilty
Not guilty
No contest
Does not admit guilt but is not contesting the underlying facts

7. Criminal Justice Process
Punishment
Physical Labor
Probation
Incarceration
Overcrowding
Fall in Crime Rate and Incarceration
Drug Court Reform
Privatization

8. Criminal Justice Process
Death Penalty
Since 1924 all executions carried out by state
Several crimes eligible for the death penalty
Hiring someone to murder someone else
Murdering a judge or correctional officer
Murdering during specific felonies
Race significant factor
Death row moved to The Polunsky Unit
Support for death penalty high in Texas
72% of survey respondents favor

9. Life After Prison
Restricted Licensing, Employment, and Access to Programs
Ineligible for food stamp benefits
Ineligible for selected Medicaid programs
Ineligible for higher education scholarships
Voting Rights loss
Criminal disenfranchisement
Parole
Calendar time served plus good conduct time equals one-fourth of the maximum sentence or fifteen years, whichever is less

10. Reforms Alternatives to Incarceration Bail Reforms
Addressing Prison Suicides
Grand Jury Reform
Death Penalty Reform

11. Texas Takeaways
The accused has the right to remain silent, consult with an attorney, have an attorney present during questioning, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
Victims have the right to be informed about the progress of a case at various points and the right to have the court take their safety into account on release of their attacker from a correctional facility.
The maximum penalty for a misdemeanor is up to a year in jail and/or a $4,000 fine. The maximum penalty for a felony is death by lethal injection (the death penalty).

12. Texas Takeaways
The age range for a juvenile in Texas is ten to sixteen years old; at age seventeen defendants can be tried as adults.
A grand jury is responsible for bringing criminal charges against an individual.
Probation and deferred adjudication are two alternatives to incarceration.
Local, state, and federal governments maintain correctional facilities in Texas.

13. Texas Takeaways
Prison populations exploded in the 1980s as the US Congress and state legislatures began to pass “tough on crime” legislation.
Criminal disenfranchisement is the loss of voting rights after a conviction.
The law requires a two-thirds vote of the board members to grant parole for capital offenses.
Each prisoner costs Texas taxpayers about $45 a day
The old system allowed grand jury commissioners to pick the grand jury pool. The new system institutes a random process for drawing jurors from a broader pool of potential applicants.