1. Discuss the origins of the American legal system, including the common law, precedent, stare decisis, and judicial review.
2. Describe the role of both the judge and the jury in criminal trials. Explain why the jury is both substantively and symbolically important.
3. Discuss the factors that significantly curtail the discretion of judges in the American criminal justice system.
4. Take a position on whether plea agreements are generally good or bad, and why it would be difficult to ban or severely restrict plea agreements.
5. Is it really realistic today to believe that jurors can be insulated from pretrial and trial publicity?
