| Domestic Violence Courts |
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| Domestic violence has been a growing problem in the United States. In the 1990's, specialized courts were set up in some states to deal exclusively with domestic violence matters. Domestic violence courts are problem-solving courts, which seek to not only punish criminal behavior but also to resolve the underlying issues that brought the parties into the criminal justice system.More... |
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| Impeachment and Recall of State Judges |
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| All states have some procedure for removing state judges who are found to have engaged in serious misconduct. Such procedures are set out in the state's constitution or laws. This article discusses the removal of state judges by impeachment and by recall elections. More... |
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| Guardianship |
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| A guardian is a person appointed by the court to act on behalf of a person who is considered legally incompetent. A person is presumed to be competent. However, someone can file a petition for guardianship with the court detailing why the person needs a guardian. If the court finds that the person is incapable of making health, personal, or financial decisions due to illness or disability, the court will appoint a guardian. The incompetent person is called a ward.More... |
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| Racial Profiling and the Criminal Justice System |
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| Racial profiling refers to the law enforcement practice of using race as a factor in deciding who is a suspicious person that should be investigated. Racial profiling is illegal.
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| Expedited State Appellate Procedures |
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| Most state appellate courts experience gridlock in processing appeals. The courts are having difficulty keeping pace with the increasing volume of appealed cases. As a result, there are significant delays in finalizing an appeal. In some cases, it can take more than two years between entry of the final judgment in the trial court and a final decision in the appellate court. The courts have been pursuing efficiency promoting methods. This article discusses procedures that are being adopted by state appellate courts to reduce the backlog of cases and speed up the appeal process.More... |
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