due no later

Chapter 8

1. Should those accused of violent acts be subjected to preventive detention instead of bail, even though they have not been convicted of a crime? Is it fair to the victim to have the alleged attacker running around loose?
2. Should criminal defendants be allowed to bargain for a reduced sentence in exchange for a guilty plea? Should the victim always be included in the plea bargaining process?
3. What purpose does a grand jury or preliminary hearing serve in adjudicating felony offenses? Should one of these methods be abandoned, and if so, which one?
4. Do criminal defendants enjoy too many rights a trial? Why or why not?
5. Should people be denied the right to serve as jurors without explanation or cause? In other words, should the peremptory challenge be maintained?
6. “In the adversary system of criminal justice, the burden of proof in a criminal trial to show that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt is on the government.” Explain the meaning of this statement.

Chapter 8 Extra Credit:  Juries

Conduct internet research about juries in “your state.”  Your discussion should include jury sizes for the grand jury (disregard if your state uses only the prosecutor’s information process), the misdemeanor courts, and the felony courts.  Also discuss what may disqualify a person from serving on a jury in your state.  Provide links to the sites you researched.  Sites such as ask.com, answers.com, Wikipedia.com, wisegeek.com do not rise to the level of academic research and are not acceptable.