Constitutional Law Today serves as an introductory text for those students contemplating careers as law enforcement or corrections officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, or other criminal justice professionals. In fourteen highly readable and relatable chapters, the authors focus on the aspects of constitutional law that most impact the day-to-day operations of the criminal justice system. They encourage readers to develop a deep understanding of how and why the Constitution, and the judicial decisions that interpret it, apply to police officers and others working in the justice system.

The authors provide pedagogically rich materials such as recurring boxes that examine important events, both historic and modern, including The Constitution and Social Justice and Focus on Law Enforcement.

This book is intended primarily for constitutional law courses in criminal justice programs at two- and four-year institutions.

Frank Schmalleger is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke. Dr. Schmalleger has authored or co-authored numerous journal articles and more than thirty books and is also the founding editor of the journal Criminal Justice Studies.

John M. Scheb is Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he specializes in public law and the judicial process. He has authored numerous articles in professional journals and coauthored several highly regarded criminal justice textbooks.

Hemant K. Sharma is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he teaches courses on American government, public law, and the judicial process. His published research has appeared in a number of journals and he has coauthored several textbooks.