Fundamentals Of Criminal Practice

Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals focuses on providing the skills and knowledge students need to function effectively in careers related to criminal law. From investigation and discovery, to trial and sentencing, this text traces every step of the way through five hypothetical criminal cases that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions, and engage students in skill-building exercises. Realistic and practical, the text engages students with discussions of the criminal justice system, the role of police and lawyers, the basic principles of criminal law, constitutional limitations, and trial procedures. New to the Second Edition: The book now covers Legal Defenses before Discovery and Disclosure, more accurately reflecting real world practice. Expanded coverage on the handling of cases involving driving under the influence, police officers’ use of excessive force, sexual offenses, and diversion programs offered by specialized courts. New Chapter 15 on Related Proceedings, covering Collateral Remedies, Clemency, Removing and Limiting Access to Criminal Records, Recovery of Seized Assets and Challenging Summary Suspensions of Driver’s Licenses. Revisions to make the text even more accessible to students, with learning objectives in every chapter and carefully edited discussions of key concepts. The title of the book has been changed to more accurately reflect the content of the book. Professors and students will benefit from: A logical three-part organization: Criminal Law: The criminal justice system, principles of criminal law, and types of criminal offenses Criminal Procedure: From commission of the offense to plea bargaining Criminal Procedure: Trials and their aftermath An emphasis on the role of paralegals, lawyers, and law enforcement in criminal cases Five hypothetical cases woven throughout the text that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions, and offer opportunities for research exercises Coverage of both white collar and “street crime,” from both state and federal perspectives Excerpts from statutes, court opinions, investigative reports, and pleadings Strong pedagogy, including discussion questions, application exercises, marginal definitions, and end-of-chapter review questions. Assignments that mirror the tasks a paralegal would perform in a prosecutor or defense counsel’s office

Forensic psychologists and psychiatrists are increasingly asked to provide expertise to courts and attorneys in the criminal justice system. To do so effectively, they must stay abreast of important advances in the understanding of legal standards as well as new developments in sophisticated measures and the methods for their assessment. Fundamentals of Forensic Practice is designed to address the critical issues that are faced by mental health experts in their role of conducting assessments, presenting findings, and preparing for challenges to admissibility and credibility. Uniquely practical and comprehensive, this volume operationalizes legal standards and describes empirically validated methods for their evaluation. Not only is this essential for mental health professionals, but it is equally valuable to criminal attorneys. Lawyers require both clinical knowledge and understanding of legal standards in order to prepare their own experts and to challenge those on the opposing side. For both clinical and legal experts Fundamentals of Forensic Practice offers a full view of all phases of criminal proceedings: - Pretrial—diversion, determinations of bail, waivers of Miranda rights, and the capacity to consent to searches. - Trial—competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility. Beyond insanity, the latter addresses mens rea, automatism, and psychological context evidence, such as battered-woman syndrome. - Post-trial—sentencing, capital sentencing, competency to be executed, and other post-conviction issues. Other key features include: - Chapters on specific criminal issues in a consistent format, with comprehensive coverage of legal standards and relevant clinical methods - Guidelines for conducting more effective forensic evaluations - In-depth coverage of specialized assessments, eg. malingering, sexual predator cases, and the insanity defense. - A detailed overview of direct and cross-examination strategies This book is the second collaboration between Rogers and Shuman. As individual authors, each received the American Psychiatric Association’s prestigious Guttmacher Award for their outstanding contributions to forensic psychiatry.

This book explores the philosophical underpinnings of the law's major doctrines concerning actus reus, mens rea, and defences, showing that they are not always driven by culpability but are grounded also in principles of moral responsibility, ascriptive responsibility, and wrongdoing.

The manner in which criminal investigators are trained is neither uniform nor consistent, ranging from sophisticated training protocols in some departments to on-the-job experience alongside senior investigators in others. Ideal for students taking a first course in the subject as well as professionals in need of a refresher, Introduction to Criminal Investigation uses an accessible format to convey concepts in practical, concrete terms. Topics discussed include: The history of criminal investigation in Western society Qualifications for becoming an investigator, the selection process, and ideal training requirements Crime scene search techniques, including planning and post-search debriefing Preparing effective field notes and investigative reports Interviewing and interrogating Types of evidence found at the crime scene and how to collect, package, and preserve it The contributions of forensic science to criminal investigations and the equipment used in crime labs Investigative protocol for a range of crimes, including property crimes, auto theft, arson, financial crimes, homicide, assault, sex crimes, and robbery Specialized investigations, including drug trafficking, cybercrime, and gang-related crime Legal issues involved in criminal investigations and preparing a case for trial Bringing together contributions from law enforcement personnel, academics, and attorneys, the book combines practical and theoretical elements to provide a comprehensive examination of today‘s criminal investigative process. The accessible manner in which the information is conveyed makes this an ideal text for a wide-ranging audience.

A Revised and Updated Edition of a Bestselling GIS Text Fundamentals of Crime Mapping, Second Edition walks readers through the research, theories, and history of geographic information systems used in law enforcement. Practical, comprehensive, and highly accessible, the revised and updated Second Edition of this bestselling text explains the day-to-day application of crime analysis for mapping. The text is packed with relevant real-world scenarios that contextualize key concepts and reflect actual crime patterns, trends, and series. Students will develop the skills to analyze and synthesize information and transition classroom-based knowledge to careers in the fast-growing field of law enforcement. Special topics discussed include current basic mapping terminology, crime trends in rural and urban areas, the major ecological theories of crime, geographic profiling, and empirical research using crime mapping tools. The Second Edition incorporates all-new material, including new chapters on the basics of cartography and police methodologies and their impact on crime mapping, as well as all-new exercises using ArcGIS 10. Fundamentals of Crime Mapping, Second Edition helps to equip any practitioner of crime mapping and its related fields with the tools and understanding necessary to meet the challenges of the day. A DVD containing the data files to complete the exercises available within the printed text and the companion website are not included in the purchase of an eBook nor a used text.

Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals focuses on providing the skills and knowledge students need to function effectively in careers related to criminal law. From investigation and discovery, to trial and sentencing, this text traces every step of the way through five hypothetical criminal cases that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions, and engage students in skill-building exercises. Realistic and practical, the text engages students with discussions of the criminal justice system, the role of police and lawyers, the basic principles of criminal law, constitutional limitations, and trial procedures. New to the Second Edition: The book now covers Legal Defenses before Discovery and Disclosure, more accurately reflecting real world practice. Expanded coverage on the handling of cases involving driving under the influence, police officers’ use of excessive force, sexual offenses, and diversion programs offered by specialized courts. New Chapter 15 on Related Proceedings, covering Collateral Remedies, Clemency, Removing and Limiting Access to Criminal Records, Recovery of Seized Assets and Challenging Summary Suspensions of Driver’s Licenses. Revisions to make the text even more accessible to students, with learning objectives in every chapter and carefully edited discussions of key concepts. The title of the book has been changed to more accurately reflect the content of the book. Professors and students will benefit from: A logical three-part organization: Criminal Law: The criminal justice system, principles of criminal law, and types of criminal offenses Criminal Procedure: From commission of the offense to plea bargaining Criminal Procedure: Trials and their aftermath An emphasis on the role of paralegals, lawyers, and law enforcement in criminal cases Five hypothetical cases woven throughout the text that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions, and offer opportunities for research exercises Coverage of both white collar and “street crime,” from both state and federal perspectives Excerpts from statutes, court opinions, investigative reports, and pleadings Strong pedagogy, including discussion questions, application exercises, marginal definitions, and end-of-chapter review questions. Assignments that mirror the tasks a paralegal would perform in a prosecutor or defense counsel’s office

A practical and applied introduction to criminal justice Introduction to Criminal Justice: Practice and Process shows you how to think practically about the criminal justice system by offering you a proven, problem-based approach to learning. Bestselling authors Kenneth J. Peak and Tamara D. Madensen draw on their many years of combined practitioner and academic experience to explain the importance of criminal justice and show how key trends, emerging issues, historical background, and practical lessons can be applied in the field. New to the Third Edition: An emphasis on constitutional policing, legitimacy, and procedural justice stresses the importance for police to develop a “guardian” mindset over a “soldier” mindset. New discussions of contemporary criminological theories—such as social structure theories, social process theories, social conflict theories, feminist theories, and environmental criminology theories—provide you with a concise explanation on why people commit crimes and how to prevent them in the modern world. An in-depth view of three particularly challenging problems and policy issues—terrorism, the mentally ill population, and illegal immigration—demonstrate how today’s society and the criminal justice system are affected by these issues and what can be done to address the problems. New examples and case studies of ethical dilemmas illustrate today's climate of distrust, dissension, and dysfunction to encourage you to think critically about what is considered “ethical”. New video interviews with criminal justice professionals offer you career advice, provide you with insights into a variety of career paths, and discuss challenges and misconceptions of each profession.

The Fundamentals series introduces students to the principles of the law by way of clear text combined with visual aids, tools and diagrams to enable an easy understanding of the subject without sacrificing the detail that is required for proper comprehension. Each title assumes no level of prior knowledge, allowing the book to be used for those new to the subject and for distance learning. Criminal Law - The Fundamentals includes full coverage of all topics likely to be studied on Criminal Law courses and it includes summaries of the key Law Commission's proposals for reform where relevant