The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System by Diana Ruth Grant, Jon'A Meyer and Jon'a F. Meyer (2002, Paperback)

Key Details
Author:	Jon'A Meyer, Jon'a F. Meyer, Diana Ruth Grant
Language:	English
Publisher:	Pearson College Div
Format:	Paperback
ISBN-10:	0135259576
ISBN-13:	9780135259573

Size
Length:	496 pages
Thickness:	1 in
Weight:	26.4 oz

Publisher's Note
The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System presents a unique historical context on the development, functions, and controversies in the courts system that is lacking in other courts books, while simultaneously presenting the most current theory, research, and examples on the topic. This broad, temporally inclusive approach to the study of the courts will help provide the ?big picture? framework necessary for readers to understand the modern American criminal courts process. A Society Designs Laws; A Crime is Committed; After Arrest: Law, the Court, and Post-Arrest Procedures; The Courts Get Involved (The History of Courts and the Arrangement of Modern Courts; A Prosecutor Considers the Charges; A Defense Lawyer is Selected: The Defense Role; A Judge is Assigned to Hear the Case; Jurors and Other Key Participants in the Courtroom Play Their Roles; Some Cases Don't Make It to Court; ?You Ring, We Spring?: The Role of Bail in the Court System; Plea Bargaining; Your Day in Court: The Trial Begins; The Punishment Dilemma; $30 or 30 Days: Setting the Penalty; Appeals; Juvenile Courts.

This book presents a multidisciplinary and contextualized discussion of the nature and functions of courts in America. It helps readers understand the legal, political, and social/cultural environment within which courts operate, leading them to appreciate how the court system both reflects and shapes changes in society.

Features:

• Provides wide coverage of court topics
• Encourages critical thinking about courts
• Enhances student interest in the subject by asking students to think about the issues from a first-person perspective
• The organization provides a logical, flowing sequence of events
• Presents a unique historical context on the development, functions, and controversies in the court system that is lacking in other court texts, while simultaneously presenting current theory and research on the topic
• Presents a critical examination of courts from a socio-legal perspective as an institution that both reflects and shapes societal norms, dilemmas, and changes
• Uses political, sociological, legal, and psychological perspectives as tools to illuminate courts and justice processes
• Helps readers understand courts and court processes in context of the broader socio-political environment, rather than describing courts solely in terms of legal process and procedure. This provides the "big picture" framework necessary to understand modern American courts
• "Boxes" in every chapter provide in-depth examples to complement the main text