Seminar - 2 hours. The Criminal Justice System continues to evolve as perceptions regarding judges, law enforcement officers and criminal attorneys (both prosecution and defense) change. This class will analyze how our sense of justice is formed and what it looks like in the actual practice of criminal law. The class will discuss the legal standards for arrest, charging, and conviction along with the ethical conduct required of prosecutors and defense attorneys. The goal of the class is to take a global view of the criminal justice system through a focus on policy and practice issues, using actual case specific facts. We will question and discuss the systemic issues in case outcomes, ethical prosecutorial charging and bargaining discretion, and sentencing -- aspects of the criminal process that affect huge volumes of cases and require more thought in global terms.
Prerequisite: Criminal Law and prior or concurrent enrollment in Criminal Procedure
Final Assessment: Take-home exam
Grading Mode: Letter Grading