District Attorneys

The usual prosecutor, Hamilton Burger, of the old Perry Mason Show, was never shown winning a case. The masterful Perry Mason usually managed to dramatically prove his clients' innocence during the trial. Law and Order is modern TV's most popular courtroom/crime drama and features the prosecutors and detectives as the heroes.

• Is the Law and Order TV show much more realistic in it's depictions of crime solving and prosecution?
• Are the characters much more complex?
• How realistic are the Law and Order episodes?
• Does Law and Order and other modern crime dramas show reflect an increased sophistication, on the part of the public, in awareness of the criminal justice process or is the public still being mislead?

Court Rulings

Plea Bargaining

Changes in the Supreme Court

John Roberts has just been sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. As of this writing, a new person is to be nominated to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

• How much has criminal justice issues played into the modern nomination process?
• Does abortion overshadow other important judicial issues?
• How might the Roberts court shape criminal justice issues?
• Does the U.S. Senate and the American people deserve more candor from nominees during the nomination hearings?

CNN Supreme Court Page
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/supreme.court/

Legal Information Institute Supreme Court Collection
http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/supct/orderlists.php

Center for American Progress Resource Guide for Supreme Court Nomination
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=880479

Government Printing Office Resource Guide to Supreme Court Nomination Hearings
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/senate/judiciary/scourt.html

Roberts' Record on Civil Rights Enters Battle Over Supreme Court Nomination
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/29/1420244

Supreme choice . . . (A commentary on John Roberts testimony from a conservative think tank)
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed092305a.cfm

Supreme Court of the United States
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/