Consequences & Respect:Why Obey the Law
...re is a trial. Here is where the jury hears evidence to decide guilt or evidence. When the trial is over, the next step is sentencing. The sentencing could be lenient, with only a monetary fine or community service, or harsh – with jail time and a monetary fine. Usually though, “…defendants themselves are often more concerned about how many years they will have to spend in prison than about the question of guilt.” (p. 13) If there is a question of guilt, though, then the defendant could file an appeal. Most often the defendant just accepts the sentence and is done with it. Other consequences that the general public expects are that the criminal will get adequate punishment for their crimes. The public expects this because they have faith in the laws that govern them and the people who run the governing. If there was no faith in the criminal justice system or in the people running the system, then the people would revolt. This revolt would cause chaos and mayhem throughout the nation. “…The public expects the courts to punish wrongdoers. A conviction at trial is a public dramatization that those who violate society’s rules will be punished…(and) as a warning to potential wrongdoers.” (p.5) Another reason people follow the rules is because they have respect for the laws. “The public looks to the courts as forums of fairness and impartiality, with every citizen accused of a crime allowed to have his day in court.” (p. 5) The public expect that the accused will be given a fair and impartial trial by a group of their peers. The public expects these rights based upon the sixth amendment of the US Constitution. Other rights that the public expects from the sixth amendment is the right to a speedy trail, the right to a public trial, notice of the trial, to confrontation of witnesses, and to have the venue changed if the location of the trial has been too compromised by the media attention surrounding the trial. There are also rights that pertain to the criminal procedure which are found in the fourth through the eighth amendments. These rights, which are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and The US Constitution, are what keeps people from committing crimes and makes them follow the rules. Other reasons these people follow the rules are because they afraid of the punishment they might receive, the disgrace they personally would have to face, the disgrace their immediate family and friends would have to face, and because of the continued problems they would have in the future because of this incident. People respect the laws in many ...