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Essay / Scales of Justice - 1388
The Founding Fathers established the United States with special laws that gave citizens the freedoms the British had denied them. When they visited the country, documents written by the founding fathers allowed them freedom of speech and freedom of religion. However, the Bill of Rights also grants citizens the right to a fair trial. Many judges have abused this right by forming their own opinions on cases before hearing all the evidence against both sides. This principle, called judicial discretion, has contributed to burdening the standard system of the scales of justice. Because of these judges, many people perceive the justice system as "tilted" and resent the many judges who obey their own laws. There are many types of judicial discretion, but there are a few styles that dominate the others, disgusted by community members. Countless versions and cases of judicial discretion have emerged over the years of the justice system. However, the case for general judicial discretion exists as a category that ends up mistreating many citizens in the United States. The judiciary defines judicial discretion as “the inherent power of the judiciary to make legal decisions according to its discretion” (“Dictionary”). This simply means that a judge can decide a case in his or her courtroom as long as the sentence he or she imposes is reasonable (“Dictionary”). However, many judges take this out of context and use it to their malicious advantage. The judge can dismiss or nullify a jury if he or she believes a stricter or lighter sentence is necessary. He can not only choose the criminal's guilt, but he can also decide how long he deserves to be in prison. Many other cases have emerged in which judges have given too much light middle of paper......line-dictionary.org/definitions/judicial discretion?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744:v0qd01-tdlq&cof= FORID: 9&ie=UTF-8&q=judicial discretion&sa=Search#906>.Elliot, Tammy. "Woman recalls dog cage abuse | WFRV Green Bay: Northeast Wisconsin News, Weather and Sports | Local." WFRV Green Bay: Northeast Wisconsin news, weather and sports. Internet. March 1, 2011. .Roland, Jon. “Abuse of Judicial Discretion.” Hint. Internet. March 1, 2011. .Schwartz, Bernard. Decision: How the Supreme Court decides cases. New York: Oxford UP, 1996. Print. “UNITED STATES V. BOOKER”. II | Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. October 4, 2004. The web. March 5. 2011. .