The United States criminal justice system

The United States criminal justice system has a court system that is modulated in different parts. The Supreme Court is the highest authoritative court in the United States, and for cases to arrive at this court, they must pass through a variety of courts and have a legitimate consequence toward the nation.

You also have state, appellate, and local courts that serve jurisdictions where criminal cases must be trialed and sentenced for fair due process of every citizen that is a suspect. It is vital to understand that certain crimes like fraud can be tried not only in the criminal sections of the criminal justice system but also in the civil, where another set of courts provide judgments over cases that do not have to be criminal but of assets.

Please answer the following questions. As you answer each question you must provide support or evidence that will enhance and empirically prove your answers. Academic criminal justice articles or real-life criminal justice findings that are not found in journals or other academic sources must be used in supporting your answers. Please use APA style for all cited sources including your resource page.
What is the dual-court system? Why do we have a dual-court system in America? Could the drive toward court unification eventually lead to a monolithic court system? Would such a system be effective?
Judges have specific philosophical rationales and sentencing guidelines when providing a judgment over presented facts. If you were a judge, what would be your sentencing goals and philosophical rationales? Why? Can you envision any circumstances that might make your guidelines or sentencing goals change? Why? Provide an example of a situation that might be extremely difficult to judge that could put you as a judge in a situation to change your sentencing goals or philosophical rationales.