much regardless of the errors highlighted by the defense.

Mark was convicted of DWI, four counts of felony assault, and one count of involuntary manslaughter; however, he was acquitted of reckless driving and speeding. The Jury said they could not convict Mark of those offenses because of the mistakes made by law enforcement officers during the investigation.

Because Mark pleads not guilty, but was convicted during trial and had two prior DWI offenses, he was sentenced to ten years in the State Prison. Defense Attorney Long immediately notified the court of an impending appeal that would be filed by the defendant. In a report, using external sources to support your claims, answer the following:

1. Compare and contrast the roles of the Judge, Jury, District Attorney (Prosecutor), and Defense Attorney. What are their primary functions and purposes in the courtroom Workgroup?
2. Discuss the rights of the defendant in your state during the trial phase of the criminal justice process.
3. Discuss the rights of the victims and/or their families in your state during the pre-trial and trial phase of the criminal justice process. Would it be unusual for the family of a deceased victim to become angered by a slow criminal justice process or one where they are not permitted by law to be given information about the facts or evidence in the case by the District Attorney’s Office before the trial?
4. Compare and contrast plea-bargaining versus going to trial. Historically, opponents to plea bargains have claimed that they are used to alleviate heavy workloads of prosecutors (district attorneys). Prosecutors argue that plea-bargaining is a necessary part of the criminal justice process for several reasons. Where is the future of the criminal justice process headed in this regard?
5. Analyze how the Highway Patrol’s computer animated reenactment might have related to the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) effect in the courtroom.

Submission Details:

1. Save the final Microsoft Word document as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.doc.
2. LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 300 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.