Court Systems Research: Home

Paper Proposal:  The proposal should be at least 300 words in length. In this paper the students will explain why they have chosen their specific topic and articulate their research question. In other word, what is their research objective. The instructor may allow or deny the topic in the proposal. 
Student Research: Students will complete a research project and present the information in class using multimedia format.
Topics: For this assignment, the student will find scholarly articles about the following topics:

• Elaborate on the three functions of the court system: law interpretation, adjudication, and judicial overview.
• Compare and contrast the adversarial and the inquisitorial legal system.
• Compare and contrast criminal law and civil law
• Explain the terms “justification” and “excuses” as relief from criminal responsibility
• Elaborate on the insanity defense and its impact on the criminal justice system
• Research specialized courts, select one, and relate its objective and impact on the criminal justice system.
• A possible abuse of power by a police officer or an official. The student will research that department’s policies and procedures, state/federal laws, and any other pertinent information.