The wedding cake model of the criminal justice system is a metaphor used to describe the hierarchical structure of the criminal justice system. The model compares the system to a wedding cake, with each layer representing a different level of the justice system. The layers of the cake represent the various jurisdictions that exist within the criminal justice system, including local, state, and federal levels.
At the bottom layer of the wedding cake is the local criminal justice system, which includes police departments, local courts, and county or city jails. This layer is responsible for handling minor offenses such as traffic violations and petty theft.
The next layer up is the state criminal justice system, which includes state courts, state prisons, and parole boards. This layer handles more serious offenses such as robbery and assault, as well as appeals from the local level.
The top layer of the wedding cake represents the federal criminal justice system, which includes federal courts, federal prisons, and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. This layer deals with offenses that are committed on a national level, such as interstate drug trafficking and terrorism.
One of the main criticisms of the wedding cake model is that it perpetuates inequality within the criminal justice system. The local level, which handles the majority of cases, is often underfunded and understaffed, leading to a lack of resources and a higher likelihood of wrongful convictions. In contrast, the federal level, which handles a smaller number of cases, tends to have more resources and a higher rate of successful convictions.
Additionally, the wedding cake model can create jurisdictional conflicts, as different levels of the criminal justice system may have different laws and procedures. This can lead to confusion and delays in the legal process, as cases may need to be transferred between different levels of the system.
Overall, the wedding cake model of the criminal justice system highlights the hierarchical structure of the system and the different levels of jurisdiction that exist within it. While the model may be useful in understanding the organization of the criminal justice system, it also exposes some of the inequalities and challenges that exist within the system.
