NCJ Number
130290
Date Published
1991
Length
656 pages
Annotation
The focus of these materials is on the police role in the modern criminal justice process and on the difficult legal issues raised by modern policing methods.
Abstract
The right of criminal defendants to have certain evidence excluded from trial where a violation of the defendant's rights occurred in the gathering of evidence is a primary consideration that runs throughout the materials. Following an introductory section on crime and the criminal justice process, the first chapter examines the exclusionary sanction, particularly in relation to good faith and other exceptions. Subsequent chapters consider constitutional doctrines relating to law enforcement, the issuance and execution of arrest and search warrants, detention, and warrantless searches. Additional chapters cover electronic surveillance, interrogation and confessions, undercover investigations, grand jury investigative functions, and eyewitness identification. An effort is made to present legal issues in the context in which they are raised in the criminal justice process to demonstrate the extent to which the legal system deals realistically with police practices and the impact of various legal norms on police activities. A table of cases is included. 1 table, 1 figure, and footnotes