Discipline: Administration of Justice Degree Credit  [X]
Non Credit  [ ]
Nondegree Credit  [ ]
Comm Service  [ ]
 

Riverside Community College District
Integrated Course Outline of Record

Administration of Justice 3


COURSE DESCRIPTION
3 Concepts of Criminal Law Units: 3.00
 
Prerequisite: None.
 
Historical development, philosophy of law and constitutional provisions; definitions, classification of crimes, and their application to the system of administration of justice; legal research, study of case law, methodology, and concepts of law as a social force. 54 hours lecture.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Philosophy of law and constitutional provisions; definitions, classification of crimes.
 
ADVISORY ENTRY SKILLS
None.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1.   Identify the constitutional officers at the federal, State of
      California, and local criminal justice agency component levels.

2.   Analyze the relationship between the U.S. Constitution and
      criminal law.

3.   Define, and describe legal definitions and concepts.

4.   Define and describe Exclusionary rule and Due Process.

5.   Define and describe the constitutional limits of criminal law.

6.   Define and analyze the general principles of criminal liability, and
      civil liability.

7.   Analyze case law decisions pertaining to the Bill of Rights and the
      14th amendment.

8.   Define the conceptual differences of crime classification – Crimes
      against Persons, Crimes against Property, Crimes against the
      State, Crimes of Public Safety and Morals
 
COURSE CONTENT
  TOPICS
 

1.   Extensive review of the U.S. Constitution; preamble, articles 1 –
      3, and amendments 1-10 and 14; and individual citizen
      constitutional rights issues.  
2.   Define and describe the concept of Due Process and
      Exclusionary Rule as applicable to the fair and impartial
      treatment of criminal defendants and the methods used to gather
      evidence for usage in criminal trials.
3.   Critically analyze criminal law cases pertaining to the Bill of
      Rights and the 14th amendment with a particular view toward
      suppression of evidence issues.
 
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
 Methods of instruction used to achieve student learning outcomes may include, but are not limited to:

  •          Develop and assign web based activities such asreview of the U.S. Constitution, critical analysis of legal concepts such as due process and the exclusionary rule. 
  •          Critical review of criminal law cases in a format of knowledge, comprehension, analysis and evaluation; application of the court’s ruling to society and system implementation, written definition and description of a legal procedure or process of the criminal justice system; i.e.;  consensual encounter, detention, and arrest,  Identify specific criminal code violations based on act, intent, and specific criminal code elements.  
  •          These instructional methods are developed as web quests, web site reviews, internet presentations, on line paper submissions and the viewing of specific on line presentations.  
  •          Everything in this class is developed around web based activities
  •          In the traditional lecture method, there will be use of overhead transparencies, white board, handouts, videos, and student participation
 
METHODS OF EVALUATION
 Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of learning outcomes by methods of evaluation which may include, but are not limited to:

  •          Chapter quizzes and on line testing; for course knowledge and comprehension
  •          On line paper presentations;  essays,  review, analytical and evaluative exercises to assess student responses to specific outlined questions – i.e., critical analysis of  significant court decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court in matters regarding suppression of evidence in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 14th amendments
  •          In class exercises;   pro / con analysis of current practitioner practices; the application of consensual encounter, detention and arrest as a law enforcement officer uses their discretion in deciding whether a particular person is searched with or without a warrant, is custodily interrogated or offered the services of an attorney when constitutionally required
ASSIGNMENTS

Required Reading Assignments


Required Writing Assignments


Other Outside-of-Class Assignments
 
COURSE MATERIALS
 All materials used in this course will be periodically reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for college level instruction. Possible texts include:

  • Joel Samaha. Criminal Law. 8th ed. Thomson , Wadsworth, 2005.
  • Derald D. Hunt. California Criminal Law Concepts. 20th ed. Devallis Rutledge: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006.
  • Matthew Lippman. Contemporary Criminal Law. Sage Publications, 2007.
  • Sue Titus Reid. Criminal Law. McGraw Hill, 2004.
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