Cover for American Criminal Courts

American Criminal Courts

Legal Process and Social Context

Book2014

Authors:

Casey Welch and John Randolph Fuller

American Criminal Courts

Legal Process and Social Context

Book2014

 

Cover for American Criminal Courts

Authors:

Casey Welch and John Randolph Fuller

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Book description

American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context provides a complete picture of both the theory and day-to-day reality of criminal courts in the United States. The book b ... read full description

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  2. Book chapterNo access

    Chapter 1 - Principles and Decision-Making in U.S. Criminal Courts

    Pages 2-39

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    Appendix A - The Constitution of the United States

    Pages 545-564

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    Glossary

    Pages 565-576

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    Case Index

    Pages 577-578

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    Subject Index

    Pages 579-592

About the book

Publisher's note: Transferred to Taylor & Francis as of 2014

Description

American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context provides a complete picture of both the theory and day-to-day reality of criminal courts in the United States. The book begins by exploring how democratic processes affect criminal law, the documents that define law, the organizational structure of courts at the federal and state levels, the overlapping authority of the appeals process, and the effect of legal processes such as precedent, jurisdiction, and the underlying philosophies of various types of courts.

In practice, criminal courts are staffed by people who represent different perspectives, occupational pressures, and organizational goals. Thus, this book includes chapters on actors in the traditional courtroom workgroup (judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, etc.) as well as those outside the court who seek to influence it, including advocacy groups, the media, and politicians.

It is the interplay between the court's legal processes and the social actors in the courtroom that makes the application of criminal law fascinating. By focusing on the tension between the law and the actors inside of it, American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context demonstrates how the courts are a product of "law in action" and presents content in a way that enables you to understand not only the "how" of the U.S. criminal court system, but also the "why."

American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context provides a complete picture of both the theory and day-to-day reality of criminal courts in the United States. The book begins by exploring how democratic processes affect criminal law, the documents that define law, the organizational structure of courts at the federal and state levels, the overlapping authority of the appeals process, and the effect of legal processes such as precedent, jurisdiction, and the underlying philosophies of various types of courts.

In practice, criminal courts are staffed by people who represent different perspectives, occupational pressures, and organizational goals. Thus, this book includes chapters on actors in the traditional courtroom workgroup (judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, etc.) as well as those outside the court who seek to influence it, including advocacy groups, the media, and politicians.

It is the interplay between the court's legal processes and the social actors in the courtroom that makes the application of criminal law fascinating. By focusing on the tension between the law and the actors inside of it, American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context demonstrates how the courts are a product of "law in action" and presents content in a way that enables you to understand not only the "how" of the U.S. criminal court system, but also the "why."

Key Features

  • Clearly explains both the principles underlying the development of criminal law and the practical reality of the court system in action
  • A complete picture of the criminal justice continuum, including prosecution, defense, judges, juries, sentencing, and pre-trial and appeals processes
  • Feature boxes look at how courts are portrayed in the media; identify landmark due-process cases; illustrate the pros and cons of the courts’ discretionary decision-making; examine procedures and the goals of justice; and highlight the various types of careers available within the criminal courts
  • Clearly explains both the principles underlying the development of criminal law and the practical reality of the court system in action
  • A complete picture of the criminal justice continuum, including prosecution, defense, judges, juries, sentencing, and pre-trial and appeals processes
  • Feature boxes look at how courts are portrayed in the media; identify landmark due-process cases; illustrate the pros and cons of the courts’ discretionary decision-making; examine procedures and the goals of justice; and highlight the various types of careers available within the criminal courts

Details

ISBN

978-1-4557-2599-1

Language

English

Published

2014

Copyright

Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imprint

Anderson

Authors

Casey Welch

Department of Social Sciences, Flager College

John Randolph Fuller

Department of Criminology, University of West Georgia