| Traffic Law Enforcement with Electronics |
| Electronic traffic law enforcement involves the use of technology to enforce traffic laws. Police officers have been using conventional radar guns for years to detect speeding drivers. More recently, laser speed guns have been developed that more accurately clock the speed of moving vehicles. Red light cameras detect vehicles that run red lights at intersections. More... |
| Federal Court System Overview |
| The federal court system consists of federal trial courts and two levels of federal appellate courts--courts of appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. More... |
| Is Judicial Independence in Jeopardy? |
| Our governmental system contains checks and balances, which are designed to prevent any branch of government--executive, legislative, or judicial--from becoming too powerful. The independence of the judiciary is one of the central principles of a democracy. Judicial independence allows judges to make rulings that are based on legal principles instead of politics or public opinion. The independence of the court system assures fair and impartial rulings in legal matters. The Founding Fathers intentionally made the process of removing judges from office a difficult one, so that judges would be insulated from public pressure and could render decisions based on a careful analysis of the applicable law. More... |
| Hung Juries |
| The United States Constitution guarantees all criminal defendants a right to a trial by a jury of their peers. A criminal jury consists of 12 people. There is also a constitutional right to a jury trial in certain types of civil cases. The jury in a civil case usually contains 6 to 12 people. If the jurors cannot agree on a verdict, the jury is said to be a "hung jury" or a "deadlocked jury." If a jury deadlocks, the result is a mistrial. More... |
| Special Rules of Evidence |
| The courts, federal and state, have rules of evidence, which determine what evidence will be admitted at civil and criminal trials. Generally, all evidence that is relevant, which means it tends to prove or disprove the factual matter being considered by the court, is admissible. The rules relating to privileges and hearsay, which are covered below, are special rules of evidence that control the admissibility of certain types of evidence. The rules relating to judicial notice and presumptions, which are also discussed below, are exceptions to the general rule that evidence must be introduced as formal proof of a factual matter. More... |
 |
|
|
