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| a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments |
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| a complex whole consisting of interdependent parts whose operations are directed toward goals and are influenced by the environment within which they function |
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| a mutual transfer of resources; a balance of benefits and deficits that flow from behavior based on decisions about the values and costs of alternatives |
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| a defendant's plea of guilty to a criminal charge with the reasonable expectation of receiving some consideration from the state for doing so, usually a reduction of the charge. The defendant's ultimate goal is a penalty lighter than the maximum punishment formally warranted by the original charge |
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| the authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, using instead one's own judgment; allows for indiviualization and informality in the administration of justice |
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| a process by which criminal justice officials screen out some cases while advancing others to the next level of decision making |
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| the process of determining whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty |
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| a system based on a separate judicial system for each state in addition to a court system under that national government. Each case is tried in a court of the same jurisdiction as that of the law or laws allegedly broken |
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| the physical taking of a person into custody on the grounds that probable cause exists to believe that he or she has committed a criminal offense. Police may use only reasonable physical force in making an arrest. The purpose of the arrest is to hold the accused for a court proceeding. |
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| a court order authorizing police officials to take certain actions; for example, to arrest suspects or to search premises. |
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| a document charging an individual with a specific crime. It is prepared by a prosecuting attorney and presented to a court at a preliminary hearing. |
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| a document returned by a grand jury as a true bill charging an individual with a specific crime on the basis of a determination of probable cause from evidence presented by a prosecuting attorney |
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| the unequal treatment of mebers of one demographic group by the criminal justice system, compared with treatment accorded members of other groups |
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Definition
| differential treament of indiviuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic status, instead of treatment based on the actual behavior or qualifications of each individual |
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