The criminal courts must decide three essential issues whether the defendant is guilty; if so, what punishment should be applied; and if the government has followed the rules for investigation crimes and convicting defendants. Another objective of this textbook is to examine the changing dynamics of the criminal court process. Employing a spiral approach, this book presents a core of information and works outward to cover a wider range of relevant issues. The first section overviews the legal basis of the criminal courts. The second part introduces the legal actors including judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys and describes their interrelationships. This is followed by a discussion of the stages of the criminal process and an analysis of why certain cases are removed from the process or bargained out. The fourth section focuses on the dynamics of courtroom sentencing, while the book concludes by identifying problems with the system and several key aspects of potential reform. Chapter references