This book is designed for a complete Criminal Procedure course. This book is not designed exclusively for future criminal law practitioners. Rather, it is designed as a roadmap for those who wish to learn about governmental limitations on police and / or trial procedures in the criminal context. The presentation of the materials is focused, rather than scattergun. Each case is presented, lightly edited, with a series of focused questions and notes following it.
The importance of the questions cannot be overemphasized. Each student coming into class will (or should) have thought about the questions while reading the case. This should immensely improve the quality of class discussion. At the same time, the fact that the students have the questions in advance has a wonderful palliative effect on students, putting them at ease because they know the questions in advance.
Additionally, the book is carefully edited with an eye towards the number of hours typically available for a class. The police practices material is designed to be taught in a three-hour class. The entire book is designed for a four-hour class. The accompanying Teacher’s Manual suggests breakdowns for those wishing to adhere to the schedule.
