CJA 224 Introduction to Criminal Court Systems

1. ; Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in
which you examine and evaluate the American criminal court system. Address the
following in your paper:

– Describe a court and its purpose.

– Define the dual court system.

– ;Describe the role that early legal codes, the common law, ;and precedent played in the development of courts.

– Identify the role of courts in criminal justice today.

2. ; Write a 1,000-word paper in which you evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of plea bargaining. Address the following in your paper:

-Define plea-bargaining.

-Distinguish between charge bargaining and sentence bargaining.

-Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of plea bargaining (cont.).

– ;Describe how plea bargaining reflects or thwarts the crime control and due process models of
criminal justice.

3. ; Research
the Internet and find a celebrated criminal prosecution case to analyze,
such as a criminal case that received media attention. This case must have
proceeded to trial; it cannot have been plea bargained or dismissed before the
Trial phase.

Write a
1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you address the following questions:

Summarize the criminal procedures that occurred
in this case, from arrest through appeal, if applicable.

What was the crime the
defendant was alleged to have committed? What are the elements of that crime?
Is there sufficient evidence to believe the defendant guilty of this crime
beyond a reasonable doubt? Explain.

Identify the legal defenses
used in this case. Explain what the defense entails and if it is viable.

Based on the evidence, should,
or did, the defense apply to either exonerate the defendant or reduce his
sentence?