Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2017). Criminal courts: A contemporary perspective (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chapter 6, “Prosecutors” (pp. 155–188)Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2016). Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective. Copyright 2016 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc., via the Copyright Clearance Center.   

Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2017). Criminal courts: A contemporary perspective (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chapter 7, “Defense Attorneys” (pp. 189–222)Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2016). Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective. Copyright 2016 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc., via the Copyright Clearance Center.   

Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2017). Criminal courts: A contemporary perspective (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chapter 8, “Judges” (pp. 223–250)Hemmens, C., Brody, D. C., & Spohn, C. (2016). Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective. Copyright 2016 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc., via the Copyright Clearance Center.   

Criminal Justice Case Studies: Criminal Courts and Judicial Process, Week 3 (PDF)

Required Media

Serial Productions (Producer). (2018b). Serial: Pleas baby pleas [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://serialpodcast.org/season-three/5/pleas-bab…

Assignment: Roles in the Judicial System

Our trial continues with the defense attorney advocating for the charged and the prosecutor advancing evidence to prove a crime and provide justice for a victim. Witnesses are called and cross-examined. The judge follows standards, process, and precedent to keep all parties on track and within legal boundaries. The jury listens, following each argument and weighing the evidence. A process unfolds as it has over and over—each participant fulfilling a role in a democratic process. In this Assignment, you holistically consider those key roles in the judicial system.

To prepare:

• Read the Week 3 case study found in the Criminal Justice Case Studies: Criminal Courts and Judicial Process, Week 3 document.

By Day 7

Write a 750- to 1,000-page paper that addresses the points below.

In your response, point to details from the case studies to provide examples of role characteristics in practice. You also may predict next steps for each role or discuss how an element of power in that role will come to bear on a predicted aspect of the case. Be sure to draw upon examples from the Learning Resources to support your response, especially when predicting or discussing next steps.

• What is the judge’s power, and how is it used?
• What is the prosecutor’s power, and how is it used?
• What is the defense attorney’s power, and how is it used?
• What is the relationship between the judge, prosecutor, defense, and police?
• What is the duty of a jury?
• How does the power of different judicial system roles vary in other countries? Are there any best practices that could apply in the U.S. judicial system? Explain how.