Thoroughly revised and updated, this second edition reflects the changes that have occurred in the criminal justice system in the last 10 years, including the abolishment of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, the emergence of a more conservative Supreme Court, the repercussions of Watergate, the rise of the women's rights movement, the reinstitution of capital punishment, and increased prison inmate unrest and riots. General discussions of criminal law deal with the sources of criminal law and the effective limits of criminal law. Chapters on the police and their functions cover the establishment and control of police agencies, the authority of arrest, the discretionary use and abuse of the arrest power, field interrogation, stop-and-frisk, searches, and interrogation of an accused. Separate chapters are devoted to prosecution and the defense attorney. The discussion of preliminary proceedings focuses on such proceedings in the grand jury and in the trial court. Other pretrial proceedings addressed are plea negotiations and the trial jury and its selection. A chapter is given to the trial itself, followed by consideration of the sentencing decision, appeals and postconviction reviews, the theory and reality of incarceration, and capital punishment. The final chapter discusses the reconciling of efficiency and legality in criminal justice processing. Footnotes and discussion questions accompany each chapter, and a subject index is provided.