| A High-Tech Courtroom |
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| The Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York is a high-tech courtroom. The courtroom has the latest technology, which helps cases proceed in an efficient manner. There are flat screen computer monitors in the jury box and on the witness stand. The judge's bench and the counsel tables also have flat screen computer monitors and docking stations that enable the use of computers during the trial. The podium is electronic and allows the electronic presentation of evidence through a wireless communicator or by DC-ROM.More... |
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| State Appellate Courts |
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| Most states have an intermediate level appellate court, which is generally called the court of appeals. State courts of appeals have a panel of judges who review the trial court's decision. The number of judges on the panel varies. The court of appeals determines whether the trial judge followed proper procedure and correctly interpreted and applied the law to the facts of the case.
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| Dismissal of Appeals |
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| Both the plaintiff (the person suing) and the defendant (the person being sued) have a right to appeal to a higher court if they think there was a legal error in the trial. Generally, a notice of appeal has to be filed within 30 days after the trial court enters a judgment in the lawsuit. Most states have a two-tier system for appellate review of a judgment. The federal court system also has two different levels of appellate review. The appeal is first filed in an intermediate appellate state or federal court or court of appeals. After the court of appeals reviews the judgment, a further appeal is possible to a court of last resort, the state supreme court for state court appeals or the Supreme Court of the United States for federal court appeals. More... |
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| Recidivism of Sex Offenders |
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| Following incarceration, most convicted sex offenders are released to community supervision. Many states have enacted laws authorizing the maintenance of a central registry of sex offenders. Convicted sex offenders are required by law to register, and most states maintain a database of convicted sex offenders. The states make information about the offender available to the public. Some laws require the state to notify the community of the sex offender's residence in the community. Many states post their registry on the Internet. Of particular concern is the issue of the recidivism.More... |
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| The Office of the Independent Counsel |
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| Following the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Ethics Act). The law created a Special Prosecutor (the name was later changed to Independent Counsel) to investigate possible crimes by high government officials. The Independent Counsel provision of the Ethics Act expired, and new Independent Counsel legislation that was passed in 1994 expired in 1999 and was not renewed. The Attorney General of the United States now has sole discretion to appoint an outside prosecutor.More... |
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