The picture of a Judge sitting on his bench is one of the central images of the Criminal Justice field. The Judge is the boss in and out of the Courtroom and the only way his decisions can be changed is by a Judge in a higher court. The judge will work closely with both sides in the case but, at the same time must remain completely impartial. The judge is also responsible for hiring many of the courts employees, such as transcribers, bailiffs and personal clerks. This is undoubtedly one of the best careers in criminal justice available.
There are essentially two types of criminal court judge. The first judge handles the initial hearings and the trial itself, presiding over or making the final decision in the case. But in most criminal cases an appeal will follow directly after sentence is passed, especially in the cases of heavy fines or prison time, and these cases must be reviewed by criminal appeals judges. Instead of considering the facts of the case, these judges are concerned about the nuts and bolts of the trial. All Americans are accorded certain “rights” and one of these rights is to a fair trial. There are many sub-fields of the “fair trial” right, such as the right to confront witnesses, know your rights before questioning and to an attorney, and if these rights were violated then your conviction must be reversed and, at the very least, you are to receive a new trial.
This is not a criminal justice job that you can follow by looking in the newspapers want-ads or by searching job agencies. Judges are either appointed or elected. Which one of these is true and who does the appointing depends on the jurisdiction of the Court. In the federal system for instance all Judges are required to have a license to practice law, have at least five years experience on the bench and are appointed for life by the President of the United States. In the States District Criminal Court and State Appeals Court Judges are generally appointed by the Governor but in some cases they are elected. This means that you will likely spend several years working as and attorney for both the prosecution and defense and at the same time do a lot of networking in the Criminal Justice system to assure your appointment or to support you on an election campaign.
