Criminal Courts Structure, Process, and Issues

by Champion, Dean J.; Hartley, Richard D.; Rabe, Gary A.

• ISBN13: 9780132457798
• ISBN10: 0132457792
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-07-05
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Criminal Courts: Structure, Process, and Issues, 3eprovides a comprehensive examination of the criminal court system, from basic pretrial procedures, to the trial process, to sentencing and appeals. It begins with a discussion of the law and its origins, compares the federal and state court systems, and examines the key courtroom personnel. This edition includes separate chapters on the juvenile justice system and juvenile courts, and a new chapter on diversion, alternative dispute resolution and specialty courts. Key cases, newspaper articles, and real court examples add practicality and provide a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding criminal courts today.

Table of Contents

1.    Law: The Legal Battlefield

2.    The Structure of American Courts

3.    The Prosecution

4.    The Defense Judges

6.    Juries

7.    Pre-Trial Procedures and the Trial Process

8.    Plea Bargaining and the Adversary System

9.    Sentencing Goals and Structures

10.  Judicial Sentencing Options, Sentencing Disparities, and Appeals

11.  The Juvenile Justice System: Juvenile Rights and Case Processing

12.  Juvenile Courts: Adjudication and Disposition

13.  Diversion, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Specialty Courts

14.  Courts, Media, and the Litigation Explosion