A. Rural

Rural prosecutors infrequently have the heavy case load of violent crime that burdens the urban prosecutor. Interview a rural prosecutor about his or her cases. Has there been any change in their nature? Also, what are the prosecutor's personal ambitions? Many rural prosecutors see the job as a stepping stone to higher political office. Most are paid little, and the job can be held in association with a private practice. Are these generalities true of your interviewee?

B. Urban

Accompany an urban prosecutor through a day in court. Keep precise track of what he or she faces by singling out some cases and following them. This is best done at arraignment, where the bulk of plea bargaining occurs. What is the prosecutor's case load? What does he or she see as the solution to the case load?

C. Legal Aid

In most large cities, the court appoints lawyers for defendants unable to hire defense attorneys. The task is usually filled by the overworked local legal aid organization. Interview a legal aid lawyer and follow the lawyer through a day's work on specific cases. Try to have the lawyer explain how he or she balances the case load. What are the lawyer's ambitions? Go into his or her background.

D. Bankrupt

If there is a federal courthouse in your area, it will have a bankruptcy court, which you can visit. Find out the total individual and total business bankruptcies for the last full year and the preceding year. Why the increase or decrease?
How are bankruptcies handled? Give specific examples of cases and the settlements reached. (See Workbook, Chapter 23, Community Project, A. Broke.)

E. Selection

Sit in on a jury selection at a trial. Try to determine the type of juror the prosecutor and the defense attorney want to seat. At a recess or adjournment, interview each and try to draw portraits of the prosecutor's and the district attorney's views of the perfect juror for this case.

F. Arraign

Visit arraignment court. In large cities, an arraignment is a confusing and inaudible proceeding. You will have to make arrangements with the court clerk and, if possible, with the presiding judge for permission to sit close to the bench. In some communities, judges are allowed to have guests sit with them on the bench. Try to follow the main course of action and, when possible, examine one or two typical cases in detail to buttress your major conclusions about the process.

G. Indict

Determine what process of indictment your state uses: grand jury action or the information. Then follow a case through this process—through indictment or the handing up of an information.

H. Reduce

Obtain data of the number of felony arrests, felony indictments, sentences on felony pleas and trials in your city. This will give your reader an idea of the extent of plea bargaining.

I. Trial

Courthouse reporters with a heavy load will only cover the high points of a trial: introductory statements of attorneys, a key witness's testimony, summaries of the attorneys, jury verdict or sentencing. Through reading of the daily newspaper, you may be able to learn when such events will occur in an interesting trial. Verify with the court clerk to avoid a wasted trip. Put the day's activities in context.

J. Youthful

Do a background story on family court or juvenile court. How many cases are on the docket each month? How does this compare with previous years? What kinds of offenses are most frequent? Make a table that shows the frequency of certain offenses.

K. Indigents

In most large cities, 60 percent or more of those arrested are unable to hire attorneys. How does your community, state or bar association handle this problem? Invite a representative of the system to speak to the class about it. Then do some reporting to find out whether the system is satisfactory to defendants, local attorneys, the bar association, judges, law professors.

L. Bail

What is the bail policy of the local court where defendants are arraigned? Some criminal courts release defendants on their own recognizance if they have jobs or a family. Others set bail, depending on the severity of the crime. There have been charges that some courts have bail policies that discriminate against members of minority groups. Make a study of actual cases over the past week.

M. Bondsman

Interview a local bail bondsman. What does this person do? How much does he or she charge? What happens when a person skips bail? In the last 10 years, how has the business changed, and why?

N. Crowding

In a number of cities and states, the courts have ordered that prisoners be given decent conditions in which to serve their sentences. The costs involved have led to early releases, and some see it as the beginning of the decriminalization of some crimes. Check the local situation. Are such crimes as marijuana possession and shoplifting decriminalized?

O. Execution

More than 3,000 inmates are on death row in state and federal prisons. Most are in prisons in California and Texas (almost 400 each) and in Florida (more than 300). All but 13 states and the District of Columbia have the death penalty.
The death penalty has been the subject of political debate. Supporters say it acts as a deterrent to violent crime. Opponents say the government has no moral right to take a life, and other opponents say it unfairly singles out members of minority groups.
Forty percent of those on death row are black; blacks constitute 12 percent of the U.S. population. The white rate of death sentences is a fifth that of the black rate.
Select the following and write 350 words after doing the research:

1. What is the maximum penalty in your state for first-degree murder, and has there been any effort to change the penalty?
2. If your state has the death penalty, how many inmates are on death row; how many have been executed in the past 20 years; what was the average length of stay on death row for those executed last year; 10, 20 years ago?
3. Make a racial and ethnic breakdown of those on death row in your state.