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Why Misdemeanors Matter: Defining Effective Advocacy In The Lower Criminal Courts, Jenny M. Roberts

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

Most individuals accused in our nation's criminal courts are not charged with murder, rape, drug sales, or even less serious felonies. The vast majority of charges are in the lower courts, for misdemeanors such asmarijuana possession, driving with a license suspension for failure to pay tickets, assault, disorderly conduct, or public intoxication. Misdemeanor adjudications have exploded in recent years, with one recent study estimating that the volume of misdemeanor cases nationwide has risen from five to more than ten million between 1972 and 2006. At the same time, violent crime and the number of felony cases across the country have …