Designed to familiarize students with the professional and ethical duties of the prosecutor in the criminal justice system, with the goal of encouraging students to think about the role that prosecutors play. While the focus of the materials and presentations will center on the Colorado criminal Justice system, the concepts and principles addressed translate to all state systems and the federal system. National trends and legislative policy decisions related to criminal law, and their potential impact on public safety and prosecution efforts will also be discussed.
Focuses on policy and practice issues rather than case law. Examines how American criminal justice is (and has been) dispensed in the vast majority of cases that never reach trial. Devotes attention to systemic issues rather than case-specific problems. Studies policy behavior, prosecutorial charging and bargaining discretion, the provision of defense services, bail and preventive detention, plea negotiation, and sentencing---aspects of the criminal process that affect huge volumes of cases and require thought in global terms.
