Description
The power of the modern prosecutor arises from several features of the criminal justice landscape: widespread use of law and order political rhetoric and heightened fear of crime among voters; legislatures' embrace of extreme sentencing ranges to respond to such concerns; and the uncertain or limited accountability of prosecutors to the electorate, the bar, or other political and professional constituencies. The convergence of these trends has transformed prosecution into an indispensable field of study.This volume brings together the work of leading international scholars across criminology, sociology, political science, and law - along with contributions from reform-minded practitioners - to examine a variety of issues in prosecutorial behaviour and the institutional structures that frame their behavior.The Handbook connects the dots among existing theoretical and empirical research related to prosecutors. Major sections of the volume cover (1) prosecutor performance during distinct phases of a criminal case, (2) the features of the prosecutor's environment, both inside the office and external to the office, that influence the choices of individual prosecutors and office leaders, and (3) prosecutorial strategies and priorities when dealing with specialized types of crimes, victims, and defendants. Taken together, the chapters in this volume identify the founding texts, discuss leading theoretical and methodological approaches, explain the scope of unresolved issues, and preview where this field is headed. The volume provides a bottom-up view of an important new scholarly field.
Table of Contents
Foreword. Prosecutors' Changing Roles at the Hub of Criminal JusticeHon. Stephanos BibasPreface. Prosecutors in All Their ContextsRonald F. Wright, Kay L. Levine, and Russell M. GoldPART I: Phases of Criminal Proceedings 1. Public Prosecutors in Criminal Investigations: A Comparative-Law Study Stefano Ruggeri2. Selecting Charges Matt Barno and Mona Lynch3. Testing Charges Roger A. Fairfax, Jr.4. Prosecutors and Plea Bargaining Brian D. Johnson and Raquel Hernandez5. Disclosure, Security, Technology: Challenges in Pretrial Access to Evidence Darryl K. Brown6. Prosecutors and Trials Alexander Heinze7. Prosecutors and Sentencing Nora V. Demleitner8. Prosecutors Post-Conviction Brandon L. Garrett9. Accountability Courts and Diversion Programs Salmon ShomadePART II: Working Environments and Relationships 10. Hiring and Learning Strategies in Prosecution Services Rasmus H. Wandall11. The Necessity of Performance Measures for Prosecutors Lauren-Brooke Eisen and Miriam Aroni Krinsky12. Specialized Units and Vertical Prosecution Approaches Cassia Spohn13. Courtroom Workgroups: "A Prosecutor, a Defense Attorney, and a Judge Walk into a Bar " Milton Heumann, Rick Kavin, and Anu Chugh14. Law Enforcement Organization Relationships with Prosecutors Daniel C. Richman15. Bar Authorities and Prosecutors Bruce A. Green16. Prosecutors and Their Legislatures, Legislatures and Their Prosecutors Russell M. Gold17. The Relationship Between Prosecutors and Defenders Ellen Yaroshefsky18. Victims and Prosecutors Amanda Konradi and Tirza Jo Ochrach-Konradi19. Prosecutors and Voters Carissa Byrne Hessick20. Community Prosecution and Building Trust Across a Racial Divide Ronald F. WrightPart III: Prosecution in Specialized Contexts 21. Prosecutors and the Immigration Enforcement System Jennifer Chacón22. Prosecuting Race and Adolescence Kristin Henning23. Corporate Criminal Law Unbounded Miriam H. Baer24. Law Enforcement Agent Defendants Stephen Rushin25. Prosecutors and Misdemeanors Jenny Roberts26. Prosecutors and National Security Kent Roach27. Shrinking the Accountability Deficit in Capital Charging Sherod Thaxton
