Due process is the idea that the CJS is “an obstacle course in which the government must prove an accused person’s guilt while conforming to strict procedural rules. The system’s most important goal under this model is the protection of citizen rights and the prevention of arbitrary and capricious government actions” (p. 6). Legal guilt is decided after a formulaic process.
References:
Surette, R. (1992). “Mass media, crime, and criminal justice: An introduction.” Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Images and Realities. 1-20. Wadsworth Publishing Company: Belmont, California.