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Radford CRJU 233 - Syllabus

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CRJU233: Courts & The Criminal Process Office: 307 Adams StreetSemester: Spring 2007 Criminal Justice BuildingCRJU233: COURTS & THE CRIMINAL PROCESSThis 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. * * *CRJU 233: COURTS & THE CRIMINAL PROCESSCourse SyllabusSpring 2007 SemesterInstructor: John Massey Email: [email protected]: Courts & The Criminal Process Office: 307 Adams Street Semester: Spring 2007 Criminal Justice BuildingClass Time: TR 9:30-10:45, 12:30-1:45, 6:30-7:45 Office Hours: TR 11:00-12:00 and by apt.Course Website: http://www.radford.edu/~jbmasseyCRJU233: COURTS & THE CRIMINAL PROCESSThis 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 TEXTAmerica’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: 0534628923CONTENT OF COURSEThis 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 COURSEAfter 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.13. 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 sectionsof your textbook in advance so that you can better understand the material come test time. Exams will not be curved under any condition. 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 letme 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. Mock Trial – 100 points total-You will receive a handout that details this activity. In-Class, Group & Take-Home Assignments – 125 points total-There will five additional assignments in this class. Three assignments will be “do-at-home” assignments which you will turn in. These assignments must include all proper citations and references. In addition, a reference page should be submitted inAPA format. Failure to do so for any assignment where it is necessary will result in anautomatic ZERO for the assignment. 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. 2Total Points: 575There 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


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