Personal Narrative: The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office

I replied. “For a nice trip down yonder, so you can see how one bad mistake could change your whole life forever”, he answered. Not having an idea what he meant, I sat along for the ride. This day was a day I knew I would never forget.

“The Sheriff´s office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for your area.” A phone call like that will get you out of bed in a hurry, and it’s something you don’t get used too. I grew up in Ramona, California, a small rural town with not much to offer. Mountains, farm animals, hillbillies and fires… all a part of Ramona.

“We have identified the body of Pamela Zimmerman, and we suspect there is foul play. The Bloomington-Normal Police Department is doing everything they can: I am sorry.” These words from a police officer are permanently etched into my head. Those simple fifteen words play on repeat throughout my head a multitude of times throughout the day, sometimes never leaving my head. As the wise holocaust survivor Viktor E Frankl once said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation- we are challenged to change ourselves.” I woke up on November Fourth, 2015 thinking it was going to just be a normal day; little did I know that I was about to be hit with news that would change my life forever.

As a lawyer, when one asks me to describe the criminal process I tell them, “it is a truth-finding exercise”. Indeed, it is only by discovering the truth that the Australian criminal justice system is able to guarantee a fair trial and justice. However, it is harder to explain that the truth, at least in the legal arena, is not always ‘objective’. This was made evident by my nine-year old nephew during a heated episode of Law & Order. “Uncle, he’s definitely guilty”, she boldly proclaimed. Of course, she was pointing to the accused who had been convicted of perjury a decade ago. My feeble attempt at explaining that he was not necessarily lying just because his account was inconsistent with the ostensibly more credible police witnesses’ version proved futile.

So when I first got there I had the idea that it was a mock trial. It was not until we start and they started going over the history of the Texas Supreme Court and how they are able to travel thought the state did I realize that the court cases were real. Which, I am glad that they were real cases because that would have been boring if they were mock. So once I got that all right in my head I started to focus on the cases the first one was at some point difficult to follow to quote my friend who’s in high school “I don’t get why everybody is so mad about so ranch there is plenty of it at Walmart at leas that’s what that one dude said”. Now, my friends, he is the class clown, so I knew it was a joke but he did ask me “for real why did he keep

My second week at the court house was long but eye opening. I learned so much about the criminal justice system. I leaned that each procedure and each role a person play is crucial to someone life. On Tuesday, the day was short but still alarming. I came in and shadow one of the clerks as she was preparing for court. As the clerk was setting up for court I remember trying to recognize which department is what on each traffic ticket. I felt confuse, but the clerk show who was trooper, SUNY New Paltz police, and state police/ She remind that I will eventually learn who is who and how to set up for court. I felt better about what she said and I was ready for court. I notice that court will be short today because we did not have many cases. I began

I have had the pleasure of knowing Andrew Reinold for quite some time now. I know him in many perspectives. Foremost, he is one of my closest friends. However, him not only being a very close friend is the limit of who he is. He is like a second brother to me and currently lives with me. For the time that I know him, he is far by one of the most mature and caring individuals one can come across. Recently, I have been going through some tough times at home and he has always been there when I needed him to give me advice on how I can deal with my own personal issues. Selflessness from another is what can describe what I’ve experienced that I haven’t really came across when I needed someone. It’s the little

I attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice not only to further my education, but also to take care of my family. My mother passed away when I was only six years old; however, I have a brother, two sisters, a grandmother who knows what struggle is, and a father who cannot find the words to define his love for my mother. At no point she was hesitant about being a mother to her four young grandkids. I always knew she was an important part of my childhood, but I had never truly understood how she influenced me until a much older age.

I quickly woke up to the sounds of loud sirens, I have no idea what is going on as I try to regaining my position. I'm noticing my hands are cuffed as I start to quickly realize what is going on. I start to frantically panic as my eyes finally adjust to my surroundings. I see that I'm clearly in the back of a cop car. I observed that the police officer is seeing that he is periodically looking in the rear view mirror then back to the road. I irrationally start to spit out nonsense before I solidly ask him in a shaky voice, “w-w-whats going on, why am I in here?” He looks back at me, giving out a quick chuckle, “oh you clearly know what you did darling, don't act innocent.” I then reply back, quickly giving him a confused stare “n-no

“Ca ding” the oven bell went off beth said “Jeffrey lunch is ready” Jeffery walked down the squeaky stairs into the kitchen. beth grabbed the oven mitts and pulled potatoes and green beans out, Jeffery said: “thank you, Beth, for this amazing feast”. Before they started to eat they had looked for Sparky their dog around their property. They found their answer the gate was open they both immediately knew that he must have run away.jeffery said “get in the car were going on a road trip”, he rushed inside and grabbed the car key he then tossed them to beth and she caught it, she put them in the hole and they had begun their journey. The car was going a solid 50 or 55 when they saw a man he was about 7 feet tall with brown ungroomed hair and very

They participate in the investigation of criminal activity, present evidence in a court of law and assist in determining the punishment or settlement defendants should receive for their crimes. Prosecutors are generally in charge of the research and analytical portion of most cases they receive. Depending on the size and popularity of the state, or district attorneys office the duties may vary. In the larger more centralized offices, under prosecuting attorneys there are Deputy Prosecutors. Deputy Prosecutors are assigned to more specific and specialized departments such as traffic violations and juvenile offenses. In the smaller agencies the Prosecutors generally work all parts of prosecution due to the lack of specific types of cases. Smaller agencies heavily rely the municipality, such as circuit clerks and legal

Sounds like a plan. Yes, this is a new homicide. Crime was committed when he was 17 and he turned 18 in May.

Today I arrived at Ms. Porter's house at 8:00am. We were supposed to go to Trenton to

However, In May of 2007, I decided to pursue my second goal of Criminal Justice. I applid for Philadelphia Police Department in June 2007 and was hired in December 2007. It was the best decision I’ve made in my life. I love everything there is to know about law enforcement. Being a police officer knowing that I’m trying to make a difference in the community of people around me is awesome. When I graduated from the academy Commissioner Charles Ramsey started his career at the Philadelphia Police Department. Commissioner Ramsey first project was implemented the community policing. My class was the first class to do the foot beats in the communities with the most crime areas. That experience gave me the chance to learn the community and the

I thought I would have to go to my trial dressed in the same dirty, dark gray jumpsuit they had given me. No one had told me any different, so I just assumed that I would be taken to the court house in my jumpsuit like I saw all the criminals in the movies do. It wasn't until a guard collected me from my cell that people finally started explaining things to me. I was taken to a small room that was very similar to the one my lawyer and I had met in, except this one had a window instead of a one way mirror. From my seat, I looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of something from the other side. I craned my neck, I saw the officer that had led me into this room talking with a man, but the man was facing away from me. I couldn't tell