Written by three nationally recognized experts in the field, Criminal Courts: A Contemporary Perspective explores all the fundamental topics (court structure, courtroom actors, and the trial and appeals process) as well as other groundbreaking topics, such as specialty courts and comparative court systems. This bestseller provides you with a foundation for understanding key concepts by reviewing the judicial function, the role and purpose of law, sources of law, the various types of law, and the American court systems structure and operations. You will build on this foundation by learning about participants in the system and the pretrial, trial, and posttrial processes.Packed with contemporary examples and new pedagogical tools, the Fourth Edition has been thoroughly revised with the most uptodate content and resources to give you a more comprehensive understanding of the criminal courts system.