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Due Process

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No person . . . shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law (The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System, 2003). The legal code of due process means that the government has to respect legal rights of a person who is being accused of a crime. In the United States Constitution, due process is only mentioned twice- in the Fifth Amendment and in the Fourteenth Amendment. According to the law of the land, a defendant in a criminal case is always innocent until they are proven guilty. Individuals who are accused, also known as the defendant, has to be informed of the charge or the charges that are being brought up against them. The person who is being accused of the alleged crime or crimes has the right to present their case before a jury of their peers. Due process gives the accused the right to a speedy trial. While on trial, the accused has the right to state their case and even offer witnesses if there are any available. Those who are called to testify are obligated by law. Due process is important in the criminal justice field because everyone has their own rights. Their legal rights are the most important of all. While studying history, there have been periods where there was no set laws and the world was in absolute chaos. Our rights by the law may not be perfect but nevertheless they are there to help protect us.

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The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System (2003)

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