Cops, robbers and prisoners-oh my! Besides the most visible players in the criminal justice game, there are many behind-the-scenes actors that turn the wheels of justice. During any day, criminals are caught, court hearings are held, investigations are being done, tests are run, fingerprints are analyzed, chemistry tests are performed, and reformed criminals are released.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 5:14 am

A call comes into a 911 operator with report of a bank being robbed. The person that answers the call, Cindy, is a high-school graduate with six months training and three years experience as a telephone operator for the local sheriff’s office. Cindy enjoys her job because she is good at talking to people in urgent situations and is confident in her abilities to route calls to the proper agency.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 6:21 am

Chief Robertson begins his day by briefing the police officers in his jurisdiction about the crimes of the day. A bank robbery early in the morning left one person dead and nearly $50,000 missing. The robbers were seen leaving the scene in a red van. All officers should be on the lookout for the vehicle.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 8:35 am

Bailiff Suzanne Reynolds calls the courtroom to order as Judge Stevens enters. The court reporter, Lisa, types away as the prosecutor presents the charges of drunken driving against defendant Larry Jones to the jury. The defense attorney then has a turn to tell the jury why Mr. Jones should be found not-guilty.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 11:32 am

Across town at the City Jail, Jeffrey Adams, a corrections officer, prepares to feed the inmates under his charge. At the very same time, police officers Joe Darrell and David St. George find the red van they’ve been looking for in the robbery case. They call into their precinct and ask for crime investigators to be dispatched. The dispatcher, Lorna, reports to her supervisor who then reports to Chief Robertson of the find and crime scene investigators are sent to the van. The officers secure the van and also request a search warrant be issued.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 11:48 am

Magistrate Lars receives a call from two officers he is familiar with-Darrell and St. George. They found the red van they believe has been used in the robbery that’s all over the news. They want a search warrant to properly view the contents of the inside of the van and have it explored for other evidence pertaining to the robbery. The magistrate (also known as a judge) issues a search warrant, giving the cops and investigators the green light to search and seize the vehicle. The magistrate has a number of assistants that help facilitate communications with higher courts, lower courts, and city officials, like the police officers.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 12:00 noon

Sandy Richey, fingerprints specialist, arrives on the scene of a red van with Justin Dames, a forensic photographer. Justin goes in first, snapping dozens of shots of the interior and exterior of the van. Sandy’s four years of attending classes at the local college to obtain her bachelor’s degree while continuing her education by attending seminars around the world have taught her that she must enter with caution. One wrong move and valuable evidence may be tarnished forever. She begins dusting with super-fine fingerprint powder, picking up prints on a sticky backed paper while Justin continues to get photographical evidence of the exact position of the fingerprints.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 3:04 pm

Sandy and Justin are finally finished and have collected a number of usable prints. They bring the prints and photos back to the forensics investigation office and check in with the administrators. Eventually, the prints will be loaded into AIFS (Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems) and compared with other prints of known criminals, unknown offenders, and government employees. The fingerprint examiner, whether Sandy or another specialist, will still have to do a visual comparison, but AFIS will reduce the comparisons from millions to a dozen or so.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 3:08 pm

In the crime lab, there are many other comparisons being done. Scientists are comparing shoe prints to those found at a crime scene, DNA is being extracted from biological samples, and chemists are testing unknown substances to prove whether or not they are drugs. Beyond that, there are evidence handlers and recorders that are responsible for keeping criminal evidence locked up and safe from those wishing to destroy or alter it.

Monday, October 2, 2006, 4:59 pm

Just one more case to bring before the magistrate before going home, the intake prosecutor presents Dinky and Pinky for their first appearance. They were caught trying to pass off stained $100 bills to a store clerk, who called police. Police arrived on the scene within a minute and arrested the duo. The magistrate decides that charges should be filed and directs the two to spend the night in jail until their grand jury can decide their charges in the morning. The jailer takes the two off to their holding cells.

It’s just another day in the criminal justice system.

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