Acquiring Evidence to Convict

Abstract

When persistent offenders reach their late teens they find themselves facing trial in adult courts, which manage to convict only one in fifty of those who commit crimes. Of those who plead not guilty and are tried by jury, about half are acquitted, which is surprising since the CPS does not prosecute unless its investigation of the case satisfies it that the evidence is likely to lead to a conviction; also because a large percentage of those charged have previous convictions, although the jury do not know this before they reach a verdict.