Criminal Justice Communication

Criminal Justice Communication

The crime in question is theft by burglary and will be decided by a jury of the accused's peers. The accused is Ronald Riff. Ronald Riff is accused of the burglary of Marquette's market and the theft of $910 included in this total was a five dollar Canadian bill. We will show some of the communication process used in cases similar to this.

Prior to Ronald Riffs arrest Officer Schield was dispatched to a reported break in at Marquette's Market. Officer Schield investigated the scene and found that the back door had been forced open as well as the cash register. After speaking to the owner Speedy Marquette, Officer Schield investigated the surrounding area and found a hammer that may have been used in the commission of the crime. The store owner alleged that the amount of money stolen was $910 and included a five dollar Canadian bill. This money was inside a tan bank bag that was marked "Midtown State Bank." Officer Schield interviewed two potential witnesses. At this point there would be witness statements filled out regarding what was seen. The next morning Officer Schield interviewed a few more people. The witnesses indicated that they had seen Ronald Riff in the area of Marquette's Market around the time of the crime. Officer Schield would be communicating in both an informal manner and a formal manner while speaking to any potential witnesses. First informally with an unsworn line of questioning and then formally with a statement written out by the witnesses that would attest to what they had seen. Officer Schield sought out Ronald Riff and questioned his possible proximity to the crime. After notifying Ronald Riff of his Miranda rights, Officer Schield was unsatisfied with the answers he received from Ronald Riff and filled out an affidavit for an arrest warrant. Officer Schield established sufficient probable cause for arrest and was granted this warrant. Ronald Riff was arrested, and charged with the crime of burglary. In his possession at the time of arrest was a receipt in the amount of $875 for a guitar (Curran, & Staunch, 2011).

After Ronald Riff was arrested, charging documents were generated by the jail in-processing clerks and the prosecutor's office would take control of the case from that point. The prosecutors will likely speak informally among themselves and decide if this case was strong enough to take to court or if it should be dismissed entirely. Deciding to go forward with the case means that the prosecutors would be in direct contact and communication with both Ronald Riff and his defense council. The first step would be to offer a plea bargain that may turn the charge into a lesser offense in exchange for a plea of either no contest or guilty. Depending on the answer given by Ronald Riff and the defense, the prosecutor's office would have to prepare for a trial that would include taking depositions from available witnesses and establishing a plan for the impending trial. Prosecutors would be communicating not only with formal documents, such as subpoenas and official depositions they would likely also speak informally to potential character witnesses as well.

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