CJA351 v1

McLean, K., Burke, A. S., Carter, D., Fedorek, B., Morey, T., Rutz-Burri, L., & Sanchez, S. (2019). Introduction to the U.S. Criminal Justice System. In psu.pb.unizin.org. Open Oregon Educational Resources. https://psu.pb.unizin.org/criminaljusticemclean/
This OER covers law enforcement, criminal courts, sentencing, penal institutions, and community-based sanctions. It also includes historical and contemporary perspectives on components of the criminal justice system, as well as the legal and constitutional frameworks in which they operate.

Required Readings:
Chapter 4 (Section 4.4, 4.7, 4.10, 4.12)
Chapter 10

Vollman, B., & College, B. of M. C. (n.d.). Criminal Justice. In library.achievingthedream.org. https://library.achievingthedream.org/bmcccriminaljustice/
"Criminal Justice" by Brenda Vollman provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. legal system, covering the elements of crimes, commonly encountered offenses, and most criminal defenses. It also examines pertinent sections of the U.S. Constitution and their application to criminal law, aiming to familiarize readers with the legal framework governing criminal justice professionals.

Required Readings:
III. Criminal Justice Systems and Processes
14. Section 2.2: Politics in Criminal Justice

V. Justice and the Law
21. 1.2 Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
22. 1.3 The Difference between Civil and Criminal Law
23. 1.4 Classification of Crimes
24. 1.6 Sources of Law
25. 1.7 End-of-Chapter Material
26. Section 2.3: The Policymaking role of the Supreme Court
27. Section 2.4: The Civil Rights Revolution
28. Section 3.1: Sources of Criminal Law
29. Section 3.2: Substantive Criminal Law
30. Section 3.3: Elements of Crimes
31. Section 3.4: Legal Defenses
32. Section 3.5: Substantive Offenses

Carlson, D. (2018, January 4). Plea Bargain. LII / Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/plea_bargain
Many successful criminal prosecutions in the United States end not with jury trials , but with plea bargains. Plea bargains are agreements between defendants and prosecutors in which defendants agree to plead guilty to some or all of the charges against them in exchange for concessions from the prosecutors . These agreements allow prosecutors to focus their time and resources on other cases, and reduce the number of trials that judges need to oversee.

Meyer, J. (2019). plea bargaining | Definition, Types, History, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/plea-bargaining
Plea bargaining, in law, the practice of negotiating an agreement between the prosecution and the defense whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser offense or (in the case of multiple offenses) to one or more of the offenses charged in exchange for more lenient sentencing, recommendations, a specific sentence, or a dismissal of other charges. The great majority of criminal cases in the United States involve some form of plea bargaining.

U.S. Department of Justice. (2020, April 2). Criminal Division | Victim Impact Statements. Www.justice.gov. https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-impact-statements
It is important for the Court to know the impact this crime has had on its victims. Victim impact statements describe the emotional, physical, and financial impact you and others have suffered as a direct result of the crime. Victim impact statements can be either written or oral statements.