So… you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime. What happens next? How does the justice system unwind, in its mission to treat you fairly?
On the next edition of Justice Alaska on Hometown Alaska, we’ll unpack the process for just such a criminal case.
I’ll be joined by Alaska Justice co-host and legal expert, Judge Elaine Andrews. She’s invited district attorney Clinton Campion and public defender Dunnington Babb to explain their individual roles and the rules that govern a criminal trial.
What specific tasks fall only to the judge? To the defense and prosecution?
We’ll describe plea bargaining and the discovery process, and the art and science of jury selection. As the case moves along, there’s sentencing and the appeals process.
Alaska has unique characteristics in its justice system. For one, judges are not elected. Neither are prosecutors. How does that affect the dynamic?
Other questions for the curious: Why do the defense and prosecuting attorneys appear friendly in court? Aren’t they on opposite sides of the case?
Why does the judge do and say certain things? If this fictitious criminal case doesn’t look and sound like Law & Order or Boston Legal, why not? We’ll ask our guests which aspects of television justice are inaccurate and potentially misleading.
Don’t miss the chance to better understand the world of criminal justice. Your questions and comments are always welcome.
HOSTS:
- Kathleen McCoy
- Senior Judge Elaine Andrews, legal expert co-host
GUESTS:
- Clinton Campion, District Attorney, 3rd Judicial District
- Dunnington Babb, Deputy Public Defender
LINKS:
- Alaska Court System
- Public Defender Agency, Alaska Department of Administration
- Public Defender Act
- District Attorneys, Alaska Department of Law
- State of Alaska Department of Law, Criminal Justice
- Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, resource list
- UAA Justice Center
- UAA Justice Center, list of publications
- UAA Justice Center, research overview
- Alaska Data Analysis – Part 1: Prison Drivers, The Pew Charitable Trust, June 18, 2015 (PDF)
- Alaska Criminal Justice System Assessment, The Pew Charitable Trust, Aug. 3, 2015 (PDF)
- Senate votes to overhaul the Alaska criminal justice system, Alaska Public Media
- Ten best legal shows in TV history
PARTICIPATE:
Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752  (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send email to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air)
LIVE BROADCAST: Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Alaska time)
REPEAT BROADCAST: Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Alaska time)
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