Course Syllabus
CR 276 - The Law of Arrest, Search and Seizure
Spring 2007 * On-Line
Instructor: Chris Meyerhoeffer
Office: Aspen Building, Room 128A
Office Hours: 10:00 – 11:00 am Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 9:30 – 11:00 am Tuesday, Thursday
Office Telephone: 732-6873
Internet Address:
Class Meetings: None –course offered via Blackboard
Required Text: John N. Ferdico, Criminal Justice for Criminal Justice Professional (9th Edition 2005) West Publishing.
COURSE SPECIFICS
Prerequisite: CRIJ 201 Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration or consent of the instructor.
The College of Southern Idaho Mission Statement
The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides educational, social and cultural opportunities for the diverse population of South Central Idaho. In this rapidly changing world, CSI encourages our students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives.
Social Science Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social, and cultural opportunities which encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing students to understand, interpret, and apply Social Science discipline coursework.
Social Science Department Goals: This course addresses the following Social Science Department goals, which are to:
1. help students understand important facts, concepts and theories of Social Science subjects.
2. help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.
3. help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4. teach students to use evaluation, analysis and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5. teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions
6. help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.
7. prepare students to transfer to a university.
Criminal Justice Program Mission Statement
The mission of the CSI Criminal Justice Program is primarily to prepare graduates to transfer as Junior-level students to 4-year universities and to prepare two year graduates for entry level positions in the criminal justice field.
Criminal Justice Program Objectives: Students will…
1. gain mastery of a breadth of knowledge of the discipline of criminal justice, criminal procedure, and criminal evidence law (breadth of knowledge).
2. gain mastery of a depth of knowledge of the discipline of criminal justice, criminal procedure, and criminal evidence law (depth of knowledge).
3. be well practiced as a critical consumer of information (critical thought).
4. be well practiced in professional written communication (professional writing).
5. be well- prepared as a potential contributor to scientific discovery in criminal justice (scientific capability).
6. be well-prepared for upper-division coursework in criminal justice (career-focused education plan).
7. be well-prepared for entry level position in criminal justice (career-focused plan).
Criminal Justice 276 Catalog Description
A highly concentrated study of the legalities and decision-making processes associated with arrest, search and seizure in accordance with statutes, case law, and Supreme Court decisions as they relate to constitutional protections.
Course Outcomes* Aligned with Social Science Goals (SS) and Program Objectives (CRIJ):
Students will… / SS / CRIJ1. Discuss generally the nature and extent of individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution and discuss in depth those rights in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. / 1, 4, 6, 7 / 1, 2, 4, 6
2. Discuss generally the structure of the court system of the United States and that of Idaho, and trace the progress of a criminal case through the court system from the initial complaint through appeal and post conviction relief / 2, 3, 4, 7 / 2, 3, 4, 5
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case identifying the individual right in issue and how it comes into conflict with a law enforcement function / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 6
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case presenting arguments for the position of both the prosecutor and defense / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 6
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case resolving the issue as a court, lawyer or law enforcement officer would, including a well-reasoned opinion / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 5, 6
Outcomes Assessment
Assessment performs a number of functions within the teaching and learning process: It gives feedback to the student on their learning experience; it measures the performance of the student; and contributes to the evaluation of effectiveness of the subject content and delivery. Assessment of student learning can be conducted using a variety of available instruments and methods. A combination of assessment approaches can be the most effective way to measure student learning.
Assessment practices embedded in courses will generate information about what and how students are learning. A wide range of formal and informal interaction and performance assessment methods will be used in this course to determine whether students attained prescribed educational goals and objectives:
Multiple- Choice Exams / Chapter Quizzes / Discussion Questions / On-line Course Evaluations / Writing AssignmentCO1 / ü / ü / ü
CO2 / ü / ü / ü
CO3 / ü / ü / ü
CO4 / ü / ü / ü
CO5 / ü / ü / ü
Policies and Procedures
Discussion and Participation Policy: Students are expected to participate in on-line discussions. I will monitor each student’s on-line participation weekly. If a student fails to participate in the first two on-line discussions or fails to take the first two chapter quizzes, I may drop the student from the class. Students with perfect on-line participation will receive 10 bonus points.
Honesty Policy: I follow the honesty policy in the CSI Student Handbook. If a student cheats on an exam or plagiarizes on a writing assignment, I will give the student a zero on that exam or writing assignment. If a student violates the honesty policy more than once, I may fail the student.
Late Policy: I expect students to take quizzes on the day or week when scheduled. I will notify students in advance of giving a quiz. No make up quizzes will be given if a student fails to take a quiz during the week it is assigned. If a student cannot take a quiz on the day it is assigned, please notify me in advance. Make up quizzes may be given at my discretion, but I may give the student a different quiz. Writing assignments and quizzes are due as indicated on-line unless other arrangements have been made.
Required Assignments: Students should read the assigned reading material, usually one or two chapters in the textbook, prior to taking a chapter quiz. If you have difficulty understanding the material or need clarification, please contact with any questions. You can reach me via Blackboard or on my regular email address. I may refer students to an independent website if I find materials that will assist student learning. This helps facilitate student learning, and makes meaningful discussion about the discussion material possible. In addition, quizzes will be based upon the assigned reading material for a particular week. One discussion question from each chapter will be placed on-line prior to the beginning of the week in which we discuss that chapter.
Grading Practices
1. I will give four exams each worth 100 points during the semester (total 400 points). Each exam will have 50 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions worth 2 points each (total between 100 points). The exams will cover the reading material for the particular unit and will be designed to assess the course outcomes.
2. I will also give 12 quizzes worth 25 points each during the semester. Each quiz will have 10 true/false questions. The 12 quizzes will be counted in determining a student’s final grade (total of 300 points). Each quiz will be posted at the first of the week and will cover the material in the reading assignment for that week.
3. I will also post 12 discussion questions worth 25 points each during the semester. Each discussion question will correlate to the assigned reading material for that week. The 12 discussion questions will be counted in determining a student’s final grade (total of 300 points). Each discussion question will be posted at the first of the week and will cover the material in the reading assignment for that week.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week
/Class Topic
/Assignment
January 15 / Individual Rights Under the U.S. Constitution / Chapter 1January 22 / An Overview of the Criminal Court System / Chapter 2
January 29 / Basic Underlying Concepts / Chapters 3
February 5 / Exam 1 (Chapters 1-3)
February 12 /
Arrest & Use of Force
/ Chapter 4February 19 / Search Warrants & Searches / Chapter 5
February 26 / Stop and Frisk / Chapter 6
March 5 / Exam 2 (Chapters 4-6
March 12 / Search Incident to Arrest / Chapter 7
March 19 /
Spring Break
March 26 /Plain View Doctrine
/ Chapters 9April 2 /
Search of Vehicles and Containers
/ Chapter 10April 9 /
Open Fields & Abandoned Property
/ Chapter 11April 16 / Exam 3 (Chapters 7, 9, 10 & 11)
April 23 / Consent / Chapter 8
April 30 / Admissions and Confessions / Chapters 12 & 13
December 7 / Exam 4 (Chapters 8, 12 & 13)
On-line Course Evaluation Statement:
Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist teaching staff to continually improve the course. Evaluations are available on-line at: http://evaluation.csi.edu. Evaluations open up two weeks prior to the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. During the time evaluations are open, students can complete the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet access, including in the open lab in the Library and in the SUB. When students log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out the evaluation should take only a few minutes. Your honest feedback is greatly appreciated.
Student Disability:
Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. Contact at 208.732.6260 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or email .