NCJ Number
177722
Date Published
1999
Length
411 pages
Annotation
This volume profiles the procedures of America's adversarial system of criminal justice, tracing the various steps prior to trial, as well as the trial process itself; positive suggestions for citizens who appear as witnesses are presented, and rules that control posttrial proceedings are clarified.
Abstract
The book begins with an overview of criminal justice in America, which includes consideration of the adversarial system of justice, the constitutional right to a jury trial, steps in a criminal prosecution, and the felony case process. The second chapter begins a series of chapters on procedures at various stages of criminal case processing. One chapter focuses on arrest, appearance, and the preliminary hearing, followed by chapters on bail, the charging instrument (indictment or information), and guilty pleas. The chapter on guilty pleas contains a section on plea bargaining. A major chapter on procedures in the criminal trial details all aspects of trial proceedings, including pretrial motions and hearings, jury selection, and rules of evidence. A chapter on "Sentencing, Crime, and Corrections" considers such issues as the mechanics of sentencing, sentencing factors, capital punishment, sentencing reform, restitution, probation and parole, conditions of confinement, and the management of sex offenders and drug offenders. Another chapter focuses on appeal procedures and habeas corpus. Remaining chapters consider the trial location and double jeopardy, as well as miscellaneous proceedings (juvenile justice, misdemeanor trials, damage suits against police, and prisoner rights). The concluding chapter provides more details on the adversarial system of justice. Chapter footnotes, a glossary, and a subject index