Important Theme from the Zoom Video
One of the important aspects shared by the speaker from the zoom meeting is that case files in North Carolina that are prepared by police officers for investigating and prosecuting a suspect must have a copy presented to the prosecutor’s office for discovery. The speaker, Mr. Jonathan Perry who is a prosecutor in the state, mentions the importance of case files in their line of duty. He describes the case material that is included in the case files to support the indictments making the case eligible for presentation in court must be perfect and free from error. The material includes all criminal records collected involving the accused, any video footage available as well as witness statements and contact information. Such information is crucial in developing a case and should be included in the copy of the case file presented to the prosecutor for the discovery process. The prosecutors then forward a copy of the investigative file to the defense attorney.
As a criminal justice intern, the video enlightens me on the importance of learning how to prepare a proper case file. From the discussion, creating a case file stands out as an essential task in the law enforcement process that determines if the courts will be willing to hear a case. As Mr. Perry states, it is the responsibility of law enforcement interns and prosecutors as well to ensure the case files are thoroughly prepared and well compiled for discovery purposes. The speaker considers the task of preparing and reviewing the case files to be an essential duty that is not just left to interns and is carried out by senior staff members as well, including prosecutors like himself. Therefore, learning early on what is required to create a presentable case file is an important skill. Such a skill is applicable all along my career in the field of criminal justice and law enforcement from an internship position and as I climb up the ranks. Also, realizing how to develop a proper case file simplifies the subsequent activities in the prosecution process which makes it easier for indictments to be presented in courts. Errors in developing and compiling a case file such as failing to include sufficient evidence and also not properly organizing the data involving the case might lead to the accusations being dropped. An erroneous case file therefore could potentially compromise justice and could result in criminals and offenders walking free.