Procedures in the Justice System

For courses in Judicial Process, Criminal Courts, Criminal Procedure, Introduction to Courts, and Judicial Procedures and Practices. This text covers the American criminal courts and judicial process using a sequential approach€”following law violators from arrest to conviction and sentencing. Each chapter examines the roles that law enforcement agencies, courts and correctional departments play in the process. Illustrations, court documents and cases help make procedures more real and concrete. Fully updated in this edition, the book features the latest on courtroom evidence, new Supreme Court decisions and more information on victims’ rights and programs.

Procedures in the Justice System, Ninth Edition, provides the reader with a thorough understanding of the American justice system by explaining the duties and responsibilities of law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional departments from the time of arrest through the sentencing of the criminal offender. The text addresses constitutional rights of the accused, due process concepts, issues involving search and seizure, trial and appellate procedures, sentencing concepts, and victims' rights. Through this in-depth exploration, the reader will gain a deeper understanding of our justice system and the roles that various agencies play in the adminstration of justice in the United States.

New to the Ninth Edition

• Coverage of new Supreme Court decisions involving judicial procedure
• Motions and court document examples from actual cases
• Additional "Law in Practice" scenarios
• New information on victims' rights and programs
• Expanded coverage of: search and seizure court decisions; discovery; right to counsel; laws of arrest; duties of the prosecutor, judge, and defense counsel