CRJU 233: COURTS & THE CRIMINAL PROCESS
Course Syllabus
Fall 2006 Semester
Instructor: John Massey Email:
CRJU233: Courts & The Criminal Process Office: 307 Adams Street
Semester: Fall 2006 Criminal Justice Building
Class Time: MWF 8:00-8:50 (01), 9:00-9:50 (02) Office Hours: T.B.A.
Course Website: http://www.radford.edu/~jbmassey
CRJU233: COURTS & THE CRIMINAL PROCESS
This course involves a comprehensive overview of the steps in the process followed in most criminal courts and the legal rules relating to each step. The manner in which judges are selected in the American legal system and the organization of state and federal courts will also be examined. The court system is a fascinating component of our criminal justice system in the United States. Throughout this course, I hope that you will not only listen to lectures and presentations, but that you will also actively participate by asking questions and engaging in lively debates and discussions. * * *
COURSE TEXT
America’s Courts and the Criminal Justice System, Eighth Edition. Thomson & Wadsworth, 2005 (Neubauer, David) (available in the RU bookstore, The Book Exchange on Tyler Avenue and on the web) ISBN: 0534628923
CONTENT OF COURSE
This course will be taught in a lecture discussion format. Lectures, readings, and discussion will be geared toward understanding the evolution of the court system, including the ideological and historical roots of courts. We will examine both the federal and Virginia state court system and the actors within each. We will also devote time to a number of substantive issues of criminal and constitutional law, in addition to legal philosophies within our court system. This informal approach will emphasize knowledge acquisition, class interaction, and illustration with current issues facing our court system. * * *
GOALS & OBJECTIVES OF COURSE
After successful completion of the course, the student will:
1. have an understanding of the history and development of the court system in the United States, be able to define and apply terminology which is unique to our court system, understand the challenges that are faced by our court system, and be familiar with legal philosophies used within our court system.
2. explain all basic differences in structure of the federal and state court systems and the significance of those differences, and understand the organization of state and federal courts.
3. understand constitutional and criminal law issues dealt with by our court system and understand the basic rights of those accused of crimes.
4. have an understanding of the various actors in the court system and the importance of their roles.
ASSESSMENT & GRADING MEASURES * * *
There will be a variety of methods used to evaluate your performance in this course:
Three Exams – 100 points each (300 points total)
-Each exam will test the student’s knowledge on a particular section of the course. The exam format will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer, fill in the blank, true/false, matching, and essay questions. Generally, the majority of the exam will include multiple-choice questions while a minority of the exam will include the various other types of questions. Most exam material will come from class lecture and examples that are given in class. However, it is essential to read sections of your textbook in advance so that you can better understand the material come test time. Exams will not be curved under any condition. (Exam Dates are 9/15, 10/16 and during Final Exam Week)
Group Presentation – 50 points total
-During the first two weeks of the semester, you will be placed in groups of 3 or 4 (groups shall be no larger than four, no smaller than three). Within these groups will be your fellow classmates that you work with during the entire semester (it would also not be a bad idea to use your class group as a study group too). Your group dynamic should be strong. Everyone should work equally together in order to accomplish the work for both presentations. I do not tolerate slackers that do not contribute in their group. There are some who feel that they can join a group and float by and get the same grade as everyone else, but this will not happen in this course. If you are in a group and someone is not pulling their weight, missing group meetings, and not completing appropriate tasks (or any other issues arise), please let me know immediately. Furthermore, if you are planning to be in a group and not contribute or try to slide by, you will be removed from the group, AND, in addition to having to conduct your own individual presentation, you will write a 3-5 research paper as well. More information will be provided regarding each group presentation assignment in a separate handout. (Group Presentations will take place the week of 10/2-10/6)
Mock Trial – 100 points total
-You will receive a handout that details this activity. (Mock trials will take place between 11/6-11/17)
In-Class, Group & Take-Home Assignments – 100 points total
-There will five additional assignments in this class. Three assignments will be “do-at-home” assignments which you will turn in. Two other assignments will involve the completion of questions in-class during a video presentation. There may also be other take-home, in-class, and group activities throughout the semester as I see fit. Some days we will have these, other days we will not.
Total Points: 550
There will also be some extra credit opportunities that may arise throughout the semester. All extra credit will be kept in an “Extra Credit Bank.” The extra credit cannot exceed 20 points (excluding attendance, which I will discuss later in this document). That extra credit will then be added to your total cumulative points at the end of the semester. Graded assignments, including in-class assignments, group presentations, and exams will be posted on WebCT for this course. It is your responsibility to monitor your grades and I encourage you to keep track of your progress in the class.
You will be expected to have a general understanding and knowledge of the court system in the United States. The assignments aforementioned are designed to help each student develop a full understanding of this system. In addition, I expect a high level of quality in each student’s work. Any paper or assignment should include thoughtfulness and clarity.
PARTICIPATION
I encourage all students to participate in class discussion. Furthermore, I would like to hear everyone speak at some point during the semester and it is my belief that our class can engage in some great discussions and debates during the next few months. Participation will not be graded formally but it is highly encouraged. Although it will not be graded, those who participate and contribute to class discussion on a regular basis could be rewarded at the end of the semester (I will take participation into heavy consideration if someone is on the line when it comes to a grade). Please remember to be thoughtful to your fellow classmates and open to diverse opinions when making comments in class and please make comments and ask questions that are pertinent to the current material in our discussion.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Just like all of my other courses, there too is an attendance policy in this one. My expectation is that students are in class and on time every day. I am a firm believer that attendance is important (especially since the majority of what you learn and what will be on exams will come from lecture and discussion). Each class period, I will pass around an attendance booklet and each student will have an attendance sheet that must be signed each day. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet each day. I want each of you to WANT to come to class and to look forward to my class each day. I do not want you to see my class as an inconvenience.
As far the attendance policy works, students will be allowed four absences. Any student who misses more than four absences will have three points deducted from his or her final grade (for each additional absence). For instance, if a student misses seven classes and has a final average of 93 percent, that grade will drop 9 points to an 84 percent. Furthermore, if any student misses more than eight classes, he or she cannot receive a grade higher than a C, regardless of how well the student may due on the exams and assignments. Students with perfect attendance at the end of the semester will receive 3 points added to their final grade. Students with one absence will receive 2 points added to their final grade. Students with two absences will receive 1 point added to their final grade. Students with three or four absences will no be affected.
I understand that there will be some days where students miss for a variety of reasons. This is why I allow four absences for each student during the semester. You will not be able to use your four absences by simply skipping and then if something comes up, have your absence excused. You know from the start that you have four absences so I strongly encourage you to come to class EVERYDAY and not skip. If a student has a problem or an issue with attendance, he or she can talk to me individually about the situation.
MAKE-UP WORK
If you miss an exam or an assignment, you will NOT be allowed to make it up under any circumstances unless you have a valid excuse with proper documentation that I will request. Furthermore, I do NOT accept late work. When work is due, it should be completed and ready to be turned in at the beginning of class. You cannot turn in assignments after the due date for partial credit. There is a reason for having a “due date” and you should adhere to it.
FINAL REMARKS
Finally, in addition to showing respect and adhering to syllabus guidelines, I will ask of three additional requests from you. First, if you have a cell phone, I ask that you either do NOT bring it to class, or to TURN IT OFF before class begins. Cell phones in the classroom are a huge pet peeve of mind so please abide by this (if it becomes a problem, I will ask you to leave the class). This also includes any other annoying noisy devices such as pagers or any other type of electronic gadget that I may be too old to know about. You should live by this rule for all of your classes and any university events, lectures or speeches that you attend.
In addition to this, please respect your fellow classmates while they are presenting, making a comment, or asking a question. It is one thing to ask your neighbor a question about what I’ve said when I’m lecturing, but please respect your fellow students when they are speaking. I also understand that most classrooms have wireless capabilities. If you plan to bring a laptop computer to class each day, I ask that you only use it for the class itself (do not use it for AIM, the internet, games, etc.). If I find you to be using it for non-classroom related purposes, I will no longer permit you to bring the laptop to class. Finally, there may be some days where I will be out of town for a meeting, conference, job interview, etc., and we may have to cancel class. I will give you as much of an advance notice as possible when I know we will not be holding class.
THE RADFORD UNIVERSITY HONOR CODE
I hereby resolve to uphold the Honor Code of Radford University by refraining from lying, from the stealing or unauthorized possession of property and from violating the Standards of Student Academic Integrity.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
* * * The material listed within this syllabus document is subject to change at the Instructor’s discretion and you will be notified of any changes that may occur.
1