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ABA Family Legal Guide

Criminal Justice

The Basics of Criminal Law

How does the criminal justice system work?

It is useful to think of the criminal justice system as being made up of three main components:

  • Law enforcement: the police
  • Courts/adjudication: after arrest, the defendant is charged and brought into the court system to have his or her case heard
  • Corrections: if a defendant is convicted, he or she may go into the corrections system--jail or prison
    • American Bar Association Family Legal Guide
    Copyright © 2004 American Bar Association
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