| Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure |
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| The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure were adopted in 1946. They govern the practice and procedure in all criminal proceedings in the federal court system. The goal of the rules is to assure the just determination of all criminal proceedings. The rules specify that they are to be interpreted to afford simplicity in procedure and fairness in administration. The rules are intended to prevent unnecessary delay and expense. More... |
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| Legal Aid Societies and Offices of the Public Defender |
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| Most states have legal aid societies, which are non-profit organizations that provide free legal assistance to indigents in civil matters. States also have public defenders who provide free legal representation to low income persons in criminal, juvenile, mental health, and dependency cases. More... |
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| Dismissal of Appeals |
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| Both the plaintiff (the person suing) and the defendant (the person being sued) have a right to appeal to a higher court if they think there was a legal error in the trial. Generally, a notice of appeal has to be filed within 30 days after the trial court enters a judgment in the lawsuit. Most states have a two-tier system for appellate review of a judgment. The federal court system also has two different levels of appellate review. The appeal is first filed in an intermediate appellate state or federal court or court of appeals. After the court of appeals reviews the judgment, a further appeal is possible to a court of last resort, the state supreme court for state court appeals or the Supreme Court of the United States for federal court appeals. More... |
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| A Court's Authority to Resolve Disputes |
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| The framers of the United States Constitution separated the functions of government among three separate branches of government--legislative (the Congress), executive (the President), and the judiciary (the courts). The goal was to provide a system of checks and balances among the three branches so that no one branch could become too strong. Each branch of government has certain powers, and these powers are limited by another branch. More... |
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| Eyewitness Identification Evidence |
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| While very dramatic at trial, eyewitness evidence can be unreliable. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on the accuracy of eyewitness identification. Some social scientists estimate that erroneous eyewitness identification is responsible for a large percentage of wrongful convictions. However, jurors tend to believe that eyewitness testimony is accurate. This article discusses the factors that affect the accuracy of eyewitness identification and what the courts are doing to reduce the number of wrongful convictions. More... |
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