Due Process: Understanding the U. S. Criminal Justice System: Courts, Trials, and Sentencing

Gr 9 Up—This thorough explanation of the criminal justice process from arrest through trial is divided into eight short chapters, with a detailed glossary and an explanation of each segment available online. The subtitled text helps viewers absorb the huge amount of information presented. When a new term is introduced, the video stops and the word is flashed on the screen. Interspersed throughout the film are interviews with Judge Jennifer Bailey, a Circuit Court Judge in the Eleventh Circuit in Miami, Florida; George Castelle, a public defender; Mark Sorasia, a prosecuting attorney; and others. The film is very realistic and gives an accurate portrayal of the criminal justice system in action. Subjects covered include steps to a trial, pre-trial motions, plea bargaining, the voir dire, parts of a trial, and sentencing. While viewers will learn how a case makes its way through the criminal justice system, the dry presentation and interviews may not hold the attention of high school students. The film would have benefited from more live-action shots and fewer "talking heads." It would be best to show the film in short segments with frequent discussion to expand on the points made.—Ellen Frank, Jamaica High School, NY