The Supreme Court in the American Legal System [Hardcover]

This book comprehensively examines the United States legal system.This book comprehensively examines the United States legal system. While the most extensive coverage is given to the U.S. Supreme Court, the book also provides separate chapters on state courts, the U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The book systematically compares the effects of legal and political factors on different courts' decisions. Finally, we provide extended coverage to American legal process, with separate chapters on civil procedure, evidence, and criminal procedure.This book comprehensively examines the United States legal system. While the most extensive coverage is given to the U.S. Supreme Court, the book also provides separate chapters on state courts, the U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The book systematically compares the effects of legal and political factors on different courts' decisions. Finally, we provide extended coverage to American legal process, with separate chapters on civil procedure, evidence, and criminal procedure.Including a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court, this study examines the American legal system. It extensively examines lower courts as well, providing separate chapters on state courts, the U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Analyzing these courts from a legal/extralegal framework, the book draws different conclusions about the relative influence of each based on institutional structures and empirical evidence. Finally, separate chapters on civil procedure, evidence, and criminal procedure provide exended coverage of the legal process.List of illustrations; List of tables; Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. Judicial policy making; 2. Approaches to judicial decision making; 3. The Supreme Court in American legal history; Part II. Judicial Process: 4. Civil procedure; 5. Evidence; 6. Criminal procedure; Part III. Lower Courts in the American Legal System: 7. State courts; 8. The U.S. disly