Judicial Process: Law, Courts, and Politics in the United States, 7th Edition

David W. Neubauer, Stephen S. Meinhold

Copyright 2017
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Judicial Process: Law, Courts, and Politics in the United States 7th Edition by David W. Neubauer/Stephen S. Meinhold

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Overview
Meet the Authors
What's New
Features
Table of Contents
Pricing

Overview

Working within the framework of law and politics, JUDICIAL PROCESS: LAW, COURTS, AND POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES combines detailed information about the major structures and processes of the American judiciary with an insider's understanding of the importance of courthouse dynamics. From the organization and procedures of the various courts to the current applications of specific laws, the 7th edition explores the roles and impact of the judicial system. Throughout the text, the authors not only explain what the legal rules are but also explore each rule's underlying assumptions, history, and goals, providing a complete and balanced look at the role of the judicial system today.

Meet the Authors

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David W. Neubauer

David William Neubauer has taught at the University of Florida, at Washington University in St. Louis, and most recently at the University of New Orleans. In addition to this best-selling text, he is the author of DEBATING CRIME: RHETORIC AND REALITY, and BATTLE SUPREME: THE CONFIRMATION OF CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS AND THE FUTURE OF THE SUPREME COURT, both from Wadsworth. His articles have appeared in a wide array of scholarly journals, including Law and Society Review, Judicature, Policy Studies Journal, and Law and Policy Quarterly. Dr. Neubauer's current research interests include nominations to the Supreme Court and religion in public life.

Stephen S. Meinhold

Stephen S. Meinhold is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he teaches classes on Judicial Politics, Constitutional Law, the Presidency, and Research Methods. Dr. Meinhold recently published the new Wadsworth title BATTLE SUPREME: THE CONFIRMATION OF CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS AND THE FUTURE OF THE SUPREME COURT. Professor Meinhold's current research focuses on college students' use of attorneys, their plans to attend law school, and their attitudes about the legal system. He has published articles in POLITICAL RESEARCH QUARTERLY, SOCIAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY, JUSTICE SYSTEM JOURNAL, and PS: POLITICAL SCIENCE AND POLITICS.

What's New

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The text focuses on the current "hot topics" from the field, such as the issues surrounding the rights of prisoners and enemy combatants, same-sex marriage, and the Internet.
There is new discussion of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, and coverage of the impact of the War on Terrorism on the U.S. legal system has been updated.
A new feature box, "Law and Courts in a Digital Age," focuses on the growing impact of technology, social media and the Internet on law and the courts.

Features

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The authors incorporate the latest court decisions, including important rulings at the U.S. Supreme Court, state courts of last resort, and appellate court levels, to give students insight into the roles and key debates in each.
Photographs, graphs, tables, and illustrative exhibits convey important facts and background information in a lively, visual fashion that appeals to students.
Each chapter focuses on one or two controversial court cases, giving students the opportunity to examine the nature of the debate in depth while sifting through pertinent research.
Thematic boxes in each chapter add compelling content and increase student interest in the text. "Courts in Comparative Perspective" introduces students to the court systems of other nations. "Case Close-Up" boxes highlight landmark decisions look at the people involved and offer a glimpse into the aftermath of key judicial decisions.
"Debating Law, Courts, and Politics" boxes emphasize the importance of courts as political institutions and engage students in current debates within the process.
To facilitate students' study and review process, each chapter ends with suggestions for further reading, references, and a list of the key terms found in the chapter.

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1. Law, Courts, and Politics.
2. Law and Legal Systems.
3. Federal Courts.
4. State Courts.
5. Lawyers and Legal Representation.
6. Judges.
7. Mobilizing the Law: Litigants, Interest Groups, Court Cases, and the Media.
8. Trial Courts: The Preliminary Stages of Criminal Cases.
9. Trial Courts: How Criminal Cases End: Bargaining and Sentencing.
10. Trial Courts: How Civil Cases Begin.
11. Trial Courts: How Civil Cases End.
12. Trials and Juries.
13. The Appellate Process.
14. The Supreme Court: Deciding What to Decide.
15. The Supreme Court: The Justices and Their Decisions.