The criminal justice system is complicated. Understand it and your rights.

The Criminal Law Handbook demystifies the criminal justice system for non-lawyers. It explains—in plain English—how the criminal system works, why police, lawyers, and judges do what they do, and what you can expect if you end up involved in the system. Whatever your involvement or interest—suspect, defendant, inmate, victim, witness, loved one, or anyone else—you’ll find helpful and critical information about the criminal system, plus examples that make sense.

This reference book covers the criminal process from stops on the street to arrest, booking, bail, plea bargains, trials, sentencing, and appeals. Learn about defendants’ constitutional rights, Miranda rights, common defenses, defense strategies, and more. Find critical information on how to work with a criminal defense attorney or public defender. Understand what rights victims have and how to survive the system no matter what your role is.

With this book, you can make sense of courtroom legalese (voir dire, ex parte, arraignment, indictment), unravel and understand criminal rules of procedure and evidence, and learn through everyday examples of the system at work. The authors provide useful and important information in an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format. Whatever prompts your interest, the criminal justice system belongs to everyone and you have a right to know how it works.