Law Social Science And The Criminal Courts

This book fills a gap in the field of criminal justice and law and society. Unlike any other available undergraduate text, this book integrates legal cases and empirical research on social science questions confronted by the criminal courts. In other words, it examines how social science impacts criminal law and procedure. The book is organized around the criminal court process beginning with issues related to pretrial proceedings and ending with issues concerning sentencing. Specifically, the book provides an introduction to the history of social science used by the courts and the types of social science admitted as evidence in the courts. The chapters that follow provide seminal legal cases and empirical, social science research on a variety of topics ranging from pretrial publicity and racial profiling to Megan's Law and the death penalty. Smith introduces students to the "law in action" by demonstrating how social science influences the courts and the courts influence society. Moreover, students are given the opportunity to critically review court opinions and social science studies that test some of the assumptions relied on by the courts in rendering their decisions. Sociology of law, law and society, and criminal justice students will find this book interesting, raise questions about the influence of law on society and whether empirical research helps or hinders grounded judicial decision-making. The teacher's manual accompanying the book provides a wealth of information about Internet-based resources, student activities, and videos to encourage student discussion and identify relevant current events.

Major sections covered include: Religion, Religious Persecution, Jurisprudence, Criminal Theory and Comparative Law, Reform, and Legal Education. Hall was a firm believer in the theory of, "no crime without law, no punishment without conviction."

Originally published in 1933. This book came out of the seminal 'Michael‐Adler report' of a survey carried out to determine whether there was sufficient need for an institute of criminology and criminal justice in the United States and planning such institute. After responses from social scientists and criminal justice practitioners to the report, this book led to criminology's establishment as a discipline in its own right. This work presented the state of knowledge in the area at the time and the research methods being used and its place within scientific research. It focuses on the problems of identifying issues within criminal law and how to further investigation and research into them. The authors present their conclusions on the place of law within social sciences and also comment on psychology and sociology, where criminology at this time was based academically.

American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context provides a complete picture of both the theory and day-to-day reality of criminal courts in the United States. The book begins by exploring how democratic processes affect criminal law, the documents that define law, the organizational structure of courts at the federal and state levels, the overlapping authority of the appeals process, and the effect of legal processes such as precedent, jurisdiction, and the underlying philosophies of various types of courts. In practice, criminal courts are staffed by people who represent different perspectives, occupational pressures, and organizational goals. Thus, this book includes chapters on actors in the traditional courtroom workgroup (judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, etc.) as well as those outside the court who seek to influence it, including advocacy groups, the media, and politicians. It is the interplay between the court's legal processes and the social actors in the courtroom that makes the application of criminal law fascinating. By focusing on the tension between the law and the actors inside of it, American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context demonstrates how the courts are a product of "law in action" and presents content in a way that enables you to understand not only the "how" of the U.S. criminal court system, but also the "why." Clearly explains both the principles underlying the development of criminal law and the practical reality of the court system in action A complete picture of the criminal justice continuum, including prosecution, defense, judges, juries, sentencing, and pre-trial and appeals processes Feature boxes look at how courts are portrayed in the media; identify landmark due-process cases; illustrate the pros and cons of the courts’ discretionary decision-making; examine procedures and the goals of justice; and highlight the various types of careers available within the criminal courts

Ever since H.L.A. Hart's self-description of The Concept of Law as an 'exercise in descriptive sociology', contemporary legal theorists have been debating the relationship between legal theory and sociology, and between legal theory and social science more generally. There have been some who have insisted on a clear divide between legal theory and the social sciences, citing fundamental methodological differences. Others have attempted to bridge gaps, revealing common challenges and similar objects of inquiry. Collecting the work of authors such as Martin Krygier, David Nelken, Brian Tamanaha, Lewis Kornhauser, Gunther Teubner and Nicola Lacey, this volume - the second in a three volume series - provides an overview of the major developments in the last thirty years. The volume is divided into three sections, each discussing an aspect of the relationship of legal theory and the social sciences: 1) methodological disputes and collaboration; 2) common problems, especially as they concern different modes of explanation of social behaviour; and 3) common objects, including, most prominently, the study of language in its social context and normative pluralism.

Designed for the introductory-level statistics course in criminology, criminal justice, sociology and related social sciences, this text is adapted from Walker's Statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Third Edition. Understanding Statistics provides a solid overview of the subject by taking the basic elements from the chapters covering univariate, bivariate, and inferential statistics while retaining the foundational discussions and interpretations. The material is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand format and focuses on calculating the basic formulas in statistics yet preserves enough advanced material to prepare students for further study.Understanding Statistics boasts a variety of in-text study aids, such as key terms, equation summaries, exercises, end-of-chapter references, and suggested readings; as well as a collection of online study tools housed on the dedicated student companion website. The student-friendly presentation of the material coupled with the rich variety of student and instructor resources make Understanding Statistics the ideal introductory statistics text for undergraduate students!Every new printed copy is packaged with full student access to the student companion website featuring a a rich variety of study tools! (eBook version does not include access to the student companion website. Standalone access can be purchased here http://www.jblearning.com/catalog/9781449649234/)The latest version of SPSS 18.0 is available as a bundle.Instructor Resources:-Microsoft PowerPoint lecture slides-Instructor manual with answers to the exercises and pre-tests-Microsoft Excel and SPSS data sets-Test BankStudent Resources:-Microsoft and Excel SPSS data sets-Companion website featuring:*interactive flashcards*interactive glossary*mutliple choice questions*fill-in-the-blank questions*practice quiz (with answers)*pre-tests (with answers)*tests (with answers)*student data sets, in Excel and SPSS, that correlate to the chapter material*weblinks*suggested further reading