Providing a complete view of U.S. legal principles, this book addresses distinct issues as well as the overlays and connections between them. It presents as a cohesive whole the interrelationships between constitutional principles, statutory criminal laws, procedural law, and common-law evidentiary doctrines. This fully revised and updated new edition also includes discussion questions and hypothetical scenarios to check learning. Constitutional principles are the foundation upon which substantive criminal law, criminal procedure law, and evidence laws rely. The concepts of due process, legality, specificity, notice, equality, and fairness are intrinsic to these three disciplines, and a firm understanding of their implications is necessary for a thorough comprehension of the topic. This book examines the tensions produced by balancing the ideals of individual liberty embodied in the Constitution against society’s need to enforce criminal laws as a means of achieving social control, order, and safety. Relying on his first-hand experience as a law enforcement official and criminal defense attorney, the author presents issues that highlight the difficulties in applying constitutional principles to specific criminal justice situations. Each chapter of the text contains a realistic problem in the form of a fact pattern that focuses on one or more classic criminal justice issues to which readers can relate. These problems are presented from the points of view of citizens caught up in a police investigation and of police officers attempting to enforce the law within the framework of constitutional protections. This book is ideal for courses in criminal law and procedure that seek to focus on the philosophical underpinnings of the system.

This book describes the formal rules and informal practices involved in the development and resolution of a criminal case, from the decision to charge to disposition by trial or plea, and sentencing. Analysis of the work of prosecutors and defense attorneys in a hypothetical case helps students to contexualize criminal procedure doctrine by demonstrating the way in which the attorney applies constitutional and statutory law. The Practice of Federal Criminal Law: Prosecution and Defense can be used in conjunction with criminal procedure courses using traditional casebooks as well as in skills training courses and prosecution and defense clinics.

Virginia Criminal Law & Procedure, Second Edition is the definitive authority on criminal law in the Commonwealth of Virginia, offering comprehensive coverage of dozens of substantive crimes, plus the procedural, constitutional, & ethical issues involved in criminal practice. Author John L. Costello discusses problems encountered in pretrial, trial, & appellate practice offering valuable guidance at each stage. From arrest to appeal, Virginia Criminal Law & Procedure is the practice manual criminal lawyers in Virginia can't afford to be without.

Provides a comprehensive, readable overview of how criminal justice actually works in the United States, and what makes US procedures distinctive and important.

Written by a former federal prosecutor and public defender, Criminal Law and Procedure: A Courtroom Approach introduces students to the essentials of criminal law and procedure by illuminating the legal issues justice professionals face before, during, and after a criminal trial. Through the examination of statutes, edited case excerpts, and recent constitutional interpretation of black letter law, the text bridges the gap between learning criminal procedure and applying criminal law. Drawing from author Stephanie A. Jirard’s vast experience in both the courtroom and the classroom, Criminal Law and Procedure gets students to think critically about real-world issues and practice applying the law in a just and meaningful way. Accessible and engaging, this text presents criminal law and procedure as an exciting opportunity to have a direct, positive impact on our communities and the criminal justice system. Key Features: "Making the Courtroom Connection" boxes help students apply the legal concepts they learn to real-life issues facing law enforcement, the court system, and correctional institutions today. Edited case excerpts connect criminal law and procedure with current case material on relevant topics so students can see the impact of judicial decision making. "Applying the Law to the Facts" boxes engage students’ critical thinking skills and enhance their logical problem-solving abilities by providing opportunities to apply the rule of law to different scenarios. "Springboard for Discussion" prompts spark conversations and invite students to contrast the moral, ethical, and legal implications of criminal law and procedure in a larger context. Problem-solving exercises at the end of each chapter provide students with opportunities to test themselves on the material before a formal assessment. Active Learning Exercises in the Instructor’s Manual enable professors to offer additional opportunities for experiential learning. Give your students the SAGE edge! SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning.

Federal Criminal Discovery thoroughly covers each of the different methods of discovery available to the parties in federal criminal cases. It serves as an invaluable resource for judges, academics, prosecutors, and defense lawyers by providing an exhaustive discussion on the statutory and constitutional bases for discovery, and by covering the existing law fairly while examining both sides of the issues.