Criminal Law and Procedure for the Paralegal

Providing an in-depth look at one of the most fascinating areas of legal practice, this text presents the real world of prosecutors, defense attorneys and paralegals in criminal law. Drawing on his experience as a criminal defense attorney, an assistant district attorney, and a college instructor, the author brings the study of criminal law alive with material designed to meet the needs of students and instructors. Actual examples of criminal cases are investigated and explained, defenses are explored, and appellate processes are examined. In the initial chapters, students are introduced to the foundations of criminal law and basic facts about three cases are presented. Each chapter then continues the account of the three prosecutions to illustrate chapter concepts. A mock trial is depicted to reinforce aspects of criminal law and enable students to put their knowledge to use. Significant supreme court case decisions and their applicability to criminal law are also analyzed. An instructor's manual gives additional insight on the day-to-day activities of police, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and expounds on some of the more complex procedural phases of prosecution.