Lecture 6.5--criminal justice-- rights of criminal suspects.
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Transcript of Lecture 6.5--criminal justice-- rights of criminal suspects.
Lecture 6.5--criminal justice--rights of criminal suspects
Growing crime rate since 1960s
Declining Crime since ‘93--why?
• improved economy?• get tough policies?• mandatory minimums, “broken windows”
• better policing?• changing attitudes?• demographics?• crack “fad” diminishing?• Legalized abortion?
Counties differ—SM among the lowest
A search warrant is:
• Authorized by a judge on the basis of “probable cause”
• specifies the place to be searched, a period of time in which the search will take place, and often the specific item sought.
Police don’t need warrant when:
• permission given
• following an arrest, in the area in the immediate control of the arrested suspect
• object is within plain view of police from a place they have a right to be
• necessary to prevent harm to people or property
“stop and frisk”
• Police may “stop” (reasonable person feels not free to go) a citizen on grounds of “reasonable suspicion”
• Police may then “pat down” citizen
Rights of the Accused
• Mapp v Ohio (‘61)--4th amend search n’seize
- extending “exclusionary rule” to the states, and “fruits of the poisoned tree”
- since then, “good faith rule”, “inevitable discovery”
• Miranda v Arizona (‘64)--5th amend self-incrimination
- must be advised of rights once “in custody, prior to interrogation”
- since then, two-tier interviews, etc.
Gideon v Wainwright (‘63)--6th amend right to counsel
• Transcript: The COURT: Mr. Gideon, I am sorry, but I cannot appoint Counsel to represent you in this case. Under the laws of the State of Florida, the only time the Court can appoint Counsel to represent a Defendant is when that person is charged with a capital offense. I am sorry, but I will have to deny your request to appoint Counsel to defend you in this case.
- state must provide attorney for the indigent facing incarceration
- but not necessarily high quality defenses
- in CA over 90% of felonies are plead out
Hardening line in 80’s and 90’s
• Fed and State mandatory minimum sentences• increased incarceration for drug offenses
• especially by minorities, women, minor offenders
CA
Three strikes laws
• 1994 CA prop 184 passed overwhelmingly, half the states followed
• in CA: after two “serious” felonies, sentence doubles, third felony leads to 25-life
• about 60% of CA’s 7000 3 strikers for “non-serious” 3rd offense
• USSC said not cruel and unusual--state has right to punish a pattern of crime
• 2004 CA ballot initiative to require 3rd strike to be violent or serious lost
A vast social experiment: the carceral state
• US prison population grows 600% in past 30 years, world’s largest
• California, much the same• incarceration rate about average of other states
• but much higher recidivism rate
States pull back due to expense, under Bush, Feds dig in
• many states, including CA have retreated from mandatory minimums, but U.S. Attorney General is still calling for max penalties
California’s experiment with drug courts and Prop 36
• 1990s CA began diverting some non-violent drug offenders to courts offering treatment
• 2000 Prop 36 created expanded additional program
• 30,000 diverted per year, saving CA money, studies have shown more successful than prison at combating recidivism
Getting smart on crime?
juvenile justice
• Most states create separate system for juveniles in early 20th century
• juveniles typically face “hearings” not trials, until 1960’s, received few adult protections
• 1990’s: growth in violent juvenile crime, and movement to try juveniles as adults--in CA, prop 21 passed in 2000
CYA cages--http://www.californiaconnected.org/wp/archives/194
VIII Amendment--Capital Punishment
• Furman v Georgia (1972)- cruel and unusual punishment due to inconsistent application
• Gregg v Georgia (1976)- capital punishment can be constitutional
• Protected categories reflecting “national consensus of evolving standards”:
- mentally retarded (2002)
- minors under age 18 at time of crime (2003)
VIII Amendment--Capital Punishment--cont’d
• Race as a factor:
• McClesky v Kemp (1987)• has to be a specific case of racial discrimination- as opposed to logic of Furman
DP in CA
• Reinstated after the Gregg case
• Since then 13 executions
• Biggest death row in U.S.
• But rate of new death sentences slowing dramatically
Method of execution
• most states with dp now offer lethal injection as sole or primary method
• Recently: U.S. District Ct: must be applied humanely