Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective - Softcover

“This book is very well written, informative, to the point, and discusses the courts from a general perspective...The authors are scholars in the field, and their work has been and will be respected for years to come. The ancillary resources are very helpful, detailed, and in abundance.”

“This text is both affordable for students and presents material in an easy to understand format.  The boxes on research articles present students with summaries of research on court processing without overwhelming lower-level undergraduates with entire articles to read.  The boxes with high profile cases help students apply the concepts covered in a chapter to real-life examples.  Finally, the course site has excellent resources for both students and instructors.”

“Material covered in a balanced way...Great pedagogical features and illustrations”

“This is a well written, well arranged, and a very informative book.  It will definitely be an asset to students taking this course.”

Written by three nationally recognized experts in the field, Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective explores all conventional topics (court structure, courtroom actors, and the trial and appeals process) as well as others seldom covered, such as specialty courts and the goals and functions of the law. Authors Craig Hemmens, David C. Brody, and Cassia Spohn take a comprehensive and accessible approach which allows instructors to cover all of the “standard” material and the option to add selections they consider interesting and relevant to their particular course. This text will provide students with an understanding of the foundational concepts and enable them to  hold a detailed discussion about the criminal courts system and the participants involved.

Packed with contemporary examples and new pedagogical tools, the Third Edition has been thoroughly revised with the most up-to date content and resources to give students a more comprehensive understanding of the criminal courts system. Additional instructor resources and study tools can be found online at www.sagepub.com/hemmens2e.