CRM 220 (ONLINE): Survey of Criminal Justice: Scholarly Paper #2

The United States has a dual-court system, which means there are courts at both the state and federal levels. The majority of crimes are tried at the state and local levels. Each level has trial courts and appellate courts – the state appellate courts oversee the state constitution and laws, and the federal appellate courts oversee the U.S. Constitution and federal laws; the U.S. Supreme Court has jurisdiction over all state and federal decisions.
Read the assigned sections in your textbook. Describe the path that a case would have to take from the state trial court level to the U.S. Supreme Court. Discuss specialized courts, such as drug courts, and whether or not you think they are a good idea and why. Make sure to gather evidence (law, policy, procedure, and data) and evaluate for relevance:
Are specialized drug courts used in your jurisdiction? What is their effectiveness? What are some direct/indirect consequences: Specialized courts have shown moderate success rates, but they are also expensive to run. Discuss which should be the most important consideration, cost or effectiveness, and how these two conflicting attributes can best be balanced.
Your paper must be at least 700-800 words in length, excluding the title and reference pages, and must adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) writing format. If your paper does not comply with this format, you will lose points. 
You must cite at least two scholarly references for your paper.