State and local governments must obey the Bill of Rights. Write a 23-page paper that considers the following:
When a criminal trial is occurring, the defendant can exercise his or her rights and argue whether there was a violation of his or her due process rights prior to his or her arrest.
Explain how these rights and due process can be the basis for an appeal of a criminal trial.
To which court can the verdict from a state trial be appealed (use your state as an example)?
To which court can the verdict from a federal trial court be appealed (again, use your state as an example)?
Is there an intermediate court of appeals in your state or federal system?
Which is the court of last resort (highest appeals court) in your state and in the federal courts? Does this court have original jurisdiction over any criminal actions?
