Essay Example on Judge Career

Introduction

A judge is an elected or appointed magistrate that presides over court proceedings. He/she is in a position to rule on questions towards acts of the law, acts as a mediation between the litigating parties and gives a decision of the legal dispute. A judge always presents themselves in a certain manner that is respectful towards the law thus utilizing impression management. Impression management involves ones efforts to influence how people perceive you or other people, material things or an event. Through making goals and striving to achieve them, we make our impressions consistent (Kapiszewski, Silverstein, & Kagan, 2013). Our impression management aims towards boosting our self-esteem, motivating us to gain rewards and act as an expression to the desire of being in control of one's behavior and identity. It is as a result of adherence to social norms, societal expectations, or restrictions as it seeks to bring a different effect on people. Impression management that becomes a daily affair involves some things so that they can be effective. For a judge to make a good and fully utilize his/her impression management there is a need for the following:

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• Self-awareness- It ensures the judge is authentic and strives to achieve a successful impression on people. The judge should be aware of his values and the principals he stands for
• Observe rules and etiquette- social norms gives the judge the direction on how he is supposed to behave. A judge uses legal laws and should act accordingly to be a role model to deviants.
• Courage-a judge is required to be courageous and socially bold especially when rendering legal decisions in different cases. It is significant to stand up on principles especially for those in leadership positions.
• Positive thinking- positive attitude supports good impression on people. It is good to be optimistic for a judge even when faced with difficult cases.
• Be thoughtful and prudent- when working with others, it pays a lot to be an effective listener, being open-minded and avoid being judgmental. Judges must use active listening to avoid giving a wrong ruling and together with the jury they are open to the litigating parties to change.

Mastering one's emotions are key in connecting with other people. It is important to regulate and moderate emotional outbursts especially for a judge in the presence of the jury and the rest of the members.

Social roles of Judges

A judge has a social role in presiding over court proceedings and listening to attorneys arguments closely. They determine which evidence and testimonies that are viable in the court. They ensure court rules are adhered to and determining how the law applies to unusual instances that deviate from established procedures (Judicial misconduct rules, n.p). Judges preside over pretrial hearings by listening to the parties' complaints and to determining whether the evidence is viable for a trial hearing to be scheduled. The judges provide the jury with instructions as they are chosen for both criminal and civil cases. They issue verdicts and determine punishment for criminals in the absence of a jury. The judges inform the defendants of their rights while questioning witnesses. They thus determine whether one is innocent or guilty and impose sentences on guilty defendants. Judges also research on laws and regulations, case decisions and issue opinions and supervise law clerks work together with other staff in the court.

Techniques used to maintain self-impression

Logical thinking is one of the skills possessed by judges especially in giving a verdict for the defendants. Proper decision making skills together with critical analysis when listening to complaints and arguments of defendants and attorneys before rendering a sensible verdict (Norris, 2011). They know constitutional laws, civic and criminal procedures that are critical in the court.

Proper writing skills are required in drafting clear, well-researched, concise opinions and arguments on the ruling together with legal documents. A judge should be a proper arbitrator and not be influenced by either side of defendants arguments but use them according to the law to resolve the dispute within the parties (Sally, 2018).

Impacts of Judicial Systems in the Society

Positive impacts

Positive impacts are acquired by judicial systems that are good, unbiased and can handle simple to complex cases effectively. The positive impacts are as follows:

• Prevalence of justice and equality

It is important to ensure that the society acquires the justice that it deserves together with equality. The judicial systems control and heads the society in a democratic manner which is maintained and only intervened when the situations blow out of proportion. A good judge gives a proper ruling to those found guilty and is assisted in reaching a verdict by the jury them (Hanushek, 2013). Since the judicial system is unbiased, it thus provides equality to all people irrespective of their class, profession, or status in society. The several courts ensure equal treatment of all cases and justice to be served through unbiased decisions.

• Provides a concrete way of dealing with unjust situations

Society is damaged, and its trust is lost on the judicial system when unjust hearings are created, or justice is manipulated for an individual. This can lead to revenge, hatred, or not adhering to court decisions by individuals as they render that justice was not served. A good judicial system ensures that all cases are reviewed thoroughly and decisions are made after a healthy argument between attorneys or after a proper hearing for the client.

• Maintenance of balance and check in the society

For a live society to exist, check and balance must be maintained. Social evils like kidnapping, robbery, murdering, drinking, and drug trafficking are what is part of the society then an equilibrium would not exist. Therefore, the judiciary comes up with laws to strike a balance and offer punishment for those who go against them (Hanushek, 2013). The lawbreakers serve as examples to the rest of society and to show them that the judicial system works and will not show leniency to the offenders. It ensures that the set laws are accepted and implemented by society.

• Serves as a dominant system that challenges rulers and landlords

Rulers and landlords see it fit to treat the members of the society as they please. They think that the law does not apply to them as they use their money to bribe judges and do the work for them to win over their subjects. A good judicial system should be for the common good and treat everyone as equals and should be under its laws. It should serve to maintain harmony to establish a supportive environment and allow society to grow as its entity (Feaster & John Christian, 2010). They should thus aim to satisfy the society at large.

Negative impacts

• Social inequality

If the judicial system does not promote justice and equality, it results in social injustice. Many at times, the poor in the society receive heavy judgments on petty crimes like a robber who breaks into a house to look for money may be sentenced to 40 years in prison or pay a huge fine while a rich person embezzles public funds and is given a low fine payment. This shows that there is social inequality as there is no justice to the poor.

• Corruption

Since the rulers deem themselves as people not under the law and when they commit crimes they give bribes to corrupt judges to overrule their sentences or give lighter sentences or even letting the money to speak. This increases the high rate of corruption in our judicial systems as the judicial teams abuse their position and not providing justice where it is due.

• Affects Economy

Disobedience of court orders is bad for business and affects investments as well. Chaos occurs when court orders are not obeyed and when the judicial system is undermined. The chaos affects customer and investors' confidence in the specific state. Countries that fail to enforce their laws appear to be less attractive to investors as the society should follow these court orders. Investors are comfortable with an environment that is governed by laws that are followed by the society. This thus affects the growth and development of the particular society's' economy.

• False incarceration

Many people are incarcerated, and they are without fault. This may occur due to social inequality as well as corruption by rulers and judges. People can be falsely imprisoned after they have been framed to have committed a certain crime or even when judges are bribed to give a poor ruling sentence. This affects the society because it leads to separation of families, hatred within the society and it may lead to seeking of revenge by the victims of poor sentences.

Issues Surrounding Judges

Judges encounter a variety of issues that are political, social, economic, and legal.

Social issues

Hatred toward the justice system-The judges is subjected to hatred from the society if they gave false rulings. This may occur due to corrupt judges as they separate family members. The victims can seek to revenge on the judge because justice was not served.

Mass incarceration -Many people especially those from the low class are imprisoned at a high rate since they are at a disadvantage. They lack finances to employ good attorneys, or pay off fines or pay off judges. This leads to high rates of incarceration when they commit petty offenses that may lead to life sentences in prison (Racheal, 2017).

Poverty -Many of those imprisoned serve as breadwinners in their families. Once they are incarcerated, and they were from low-income families. Thus this will increase the poverty level as they lack someone to fend for their needs. Many people end up living in the streets.

Unemployment-when those who are incarcerated are released from prison they seek to improve their lives to avoid going back to prison. While in prison they are rehabilitated and taught a few skills that can help them when released. However, some aim to get back their old jobs, yet employers are afraid to employ people with a prison record. This brings about high rates of unemployment.

Economic Issues

Investments are affected by judges who are not effective in providing justice. This brings about the chaos that occurs when court orders are not obeyed and when the judicial system is undermined. The chaos affects customer and investors' confidence in the specific state. Countries that fail to enforce their laws appear to be less attractive to investors. Investors are comfortable with an environment that is governed by laws that are followed by the society in case they are faced with legal issues on their investment. This thus affects the growth and development of the particular society's' economy.

Legal Issues

Judicial misconduct is a major legal issue that judges face when they act in an unethical manner that violates their obligation to administer justice. This may occur when they accept bribes, gifts, or personal favors, falsifying facts, improper discussions with lawyers of one side of the case, violating standards of judicial conduct like procedures or rules, etc. This leads to defendants being coerced to do plea bargain that deprives them of fair trials and the truth being known.

Role of the Government in Judicial Systems

The judiciary is an organ of the government, and it plays many roles in the application of laws to specific cases and settles disputes through judgments from judges. Their roles include:

• Provision of justice to people- when they are approached they are mandated to provide justice and give punishments to the guilty ones
• Interpretation and application of laws-this are done when handling specific cases. A judge interprets and applies laws before passing any judgment.
• Making laws- decisions are made depending on meaning, nature, and s...