Section I. Discussion

The emergence of drug courts illustrates how the judiciary is responding both to increases in caseload and changes in the types of cases being brought to court. In the mid-1980s, drug caseloads increased dramatically in courts throughout the country.
Faced with a rapidly increasing caseload of types of cases that did not seem to fit the traditional criminal court model, courts began to experiment with new ways of processing cases by creating drug courts. Rather than viewing these defendants as criminals, they saw them as persons with an aIDiction problem. Drug courts emphasize treatment.
Watch the following video. Then answer the questions below:

Discussion Questions: 200 words or more (total). Must cite youtube video.
Where were drug courts first created and why?
Are drug courts effective? Defend your answer.
Do you think the use of the drug-court model for other crimes such as drunk driving would be effective? Why or why not?

Section II.  Complete – Must cite textbook and one other authoritative source in each answer.

In 500 words or more, explain the role of the Prosecutor in the Criminal Justice system. Include what prosecutors do at various stages of the Process, from beginning to end. Also, detail how prosecutors interact with others in the system (police officers, defense attorneys, judges, probation officers, etc.) and how those interactions affect how the Prosecutor does his/her job.

Word Count 250 or more –
In aIDition to the standard Rules of Ethics that apply to all lawyers, Prosecutors have Ethical Rules that apply only to them. Discuss these unique rules for Prosecutors and give two examples, from the textbook, of Prosecutors who failed to follow these rules. State what specifically they did to violate the Rules, and what they ethically should have done.

Word Count 250 or more –
Most Prosecutors have autonomy and broad discretion in the way they handle their cases. However, the textbook (on pages 161-162) discusses some efforts that have been made to force prosecutors to follow strict policies beyond the individual Prosecutor’s control. 1. Based on what you’ve read in the textbook, how does the Criminal Justice Process benefit from Prosecutors having autonomy and discretion? 2. What are the dangers of Prosecutors having autonomy and broad discretion? 3. What would be the benefits and dangers of imposing strict policies on Prosecutors?