The U.S. courts have evolved from their humble beginnings of replicating English courts into a complex institution and an integral part of the justice system. For this assessment, you explore due process, types of courts, post-conviction review (relief), and sentencing as they relate to a specific court case you research. This assessment focuses on a few issues those in the criminal justice field face. You may be called on to consider these issues, too, if you pursue a career in criminal justice.
Imagine you are a judicial assistant for a superior court judge. As an alumnus, you’ve been asked by your university to write an article for the criminal justice department’s journal, read by students and alumni, based on a court case you’ve observed as part of your job.
Conduct a search in the University Library or on the Internet for a current example of a case to use for this assessment.
Write a 700- to 1,050-word article for the journal and address the following:
Crime Model
- Was the crime control or due process model of punishment used in the case? Do you agree with it? Explain your answer.
- What are some of the issues related to due process?
Type of Court
- Which court dealt with the case? Was it a federal court or a state court?
- What are some of the challenges faced by federal courts?
Sentencing
- What was the sentence given in the trial? What are the sentencing guidelines for the crime committed in the trial (refer to the sentencing guidelines of the state the trial was held)?
- What are some of the issues related to sentencing? Were there any issues raised in this case? If so, what were they? If not, in your opinion, could any issues have been raised?
Post-Conviction Relief
- Was there an appeal or post-conviction relief (review)? What is the law in the state of the trial for post-conviction relief (review)?
- Differentiate post-conviction relief (review) and appeal. Compare post-conviction relief (review) to the Innocence Protection Act of 2004.
Cite a minimum of 3 sources.
Format your assignment according to APA guidelines.
