Interpretation of Photos

Describe and interpret the pictures on this page and page 91 under the heading "A Tale of Two Cities."

б Law, Crime, and Justice

PART A Background Information

CRIME AND JUSTICE

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

JUDICIAL BRANCH

STATE COURTS

Issues of crime and justice have always held Americans' attention. Americans are accustomed to bringing their claims for justice to the courts. There are few countries where so many people treat the law as part of their everyday lives. Local, state, and federal courts handle approximately 12 million cases a year. The sheer number of Americans employed in the legal profession is over­whelming; there is one lawyer for every 440 Americans, whereas in Japan there is one lawyer for every 10,000 people. The number of lawyers practicing in the Washington, D.C. area alone almost equals the 40,000 lawyers in all of West Germany.

Americans' claims for justice rest on the provisions of the United States Constitution. Most of the rights and freedoms that Americans enjoy are guaranteed in the first ten amendments or "Bill of Rights" of the Constitution. Among the guarantees are freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom to assemble in public. Citizens have the right to be judged in a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. If someone feels that these or other legal rights have been violated, he or she may bring the case to court.

The Constitution, written in 1787, established a separate judicial branch of government which operates independently alongside the executive and legis­lative branches. Within the judicial branch, authority is divided between state and federal (national) courts. At the head of the judicial branch is the Supreme Court, the final interpreter of the Constitution.

The Constitution recognizes that the states have certain rights and authorities beyond the power of the federal government. States have the power to establish their own systems of criminal and civil laws, with the result that each state has its own laws, prisons, police force, and state court. Within each state, there are also county and city courts. Generally, state laws are quite similar, but in some areas there is great diversity. The minimum age for marriage and the sentences for murder vary from state to state. The minimum legal age for the purchase of alcohol is 21 in most states.

Constitution of the United States: fundamental law of the U.S., framed in 1787 by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and put into effect in 1789.

Supreme Court: the highest federal court in the United States consisting of nine justices and having jurisdiction over all other courts in the nation.

98 AMERICA IN CLOSE-UP

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 781