What is considered the primary ethical concern of a prosecutor?

​The adversarial system of justice in the United States. c. ​Handling both the aggravating and mitigating circumstances of the crime. law enforcement, the judiciary, and the correctional system.

What amendment is double jeopardy?

the Fifth Amendment to the
The Double Jeopardy Clause in the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits anyone from being prosecuted twice for substantially the same crime. The relevant part of the Fifth Amendment states, “No person shall . . . be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb . . . . “

What is considered reasonable doubt?

It actually is INCREDIBLY easy to define. Summed up, reasonable doubt is any reason to doubt anything that the prosecution is trying to prove in its case. If a juror has any reason to doubt anything about the prosecution’s case, that’s reasonable doubt, and that juror should vote not guilty.

How do prosecutors determine whether someone should be charged or not?

Police officers usually make arrests based only on whether they have good reason (probable cause) to believe a crime has been committed. By contrast, prosecutors can file formal charges only if they believe that they can prove a suspect guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

What level of proof is needed to prove that a defendant is guilty?

Beyond a reasonable doubt
“Beyond a reasonable doubt” is the highest legal standard. This is the standard the U.S. Constitution requires the government to meet in order to prove a defendant guilty of a crime. (In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 364 (1970).)

Who decides the outcome of a bench trial?

One person decides. At a bench trial, the prosecutor has to convince only one person of a defendant’s guilt, while at a jury trial he must convince all 6 or 12 people. Put another way, the defendant may “win” if only one juror holds out for acquittal (leading to a mistrial and perhaps a good plea bargain or a dismissal of the charges).

How does a Prosecutor decide to bring charges against a defendant?

A prosecutor is supposed to take all of this information into account when deciding which charges will ultimately be brought against the defendant at trial. In addition to newly discovered evidence, other situations in which a defendant’s charges may be enhanced or reduced include:

Can a prosecutor change the charges after trial?

In some limited circumstances, prosecutors may even be allowed to alter a defendant’s charges after a trial begins. One example may be an attempted murder case in which a body is found during the course of the trial. In this type of case, the prosecutor might have an argument for upgrading to a murder charge.

How does the defendant win in a criminal case?

Put another way, the defendant may “win” if only one juror holds out for acquittal (leading to a mistrial and perhaps a good plea bargain or a dismissal of the charges). The judge knows all the evidence. At either a jury or bench trial, the judge decides what evidence will be admitted.