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 4


COURSE DESCRIPTION
4 Legal Aspects of Evidence Units: 3.00
 
Prerequisite: None.
 
Origin, development, philosophy and constitutional basis of evidence; constitutional and procedural considerations affecting arrest, search and seizure; kinds and degrees of evidence and rules governing admissibility; judicial decisions interpreting individual rights and case studies. 54 hours lecture.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Origin, development, philosophy, and constitutional based evidence.
 
ADVISORY ENTRY SKILLS
None.

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

Identify the constitutional officers of the State of California and
local criminal justice agencies.

Analyze the relationship between the U.S. Constitution and legal
aspects of evidence.

Define, and describe legal definitions and concepts.

Define and describe Exclusionary rule and Due Process.

Analyze case law decisions pertaining to the 4th, 5th, and 6th
amendments.

Analyze a particular scientific aspect of applied evidence; i.e.
bloodstains, fingerprints, ballistics, DNA.
 
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 identification and collection of evidence
    for admissibility in criminal trials and the legality of the methods
    used to gather evidence for admissibility 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.
  4. Review, analyze, evaluate and outline the legal concept of due
    process as adjudicated through specific criminal court cases as
    available on the website; Court TV.
  5. Review, analyze, evaluate and outline a report on a particular
    scientific aspect of applied evidence, gathered from a visit to the
    California State Department of Justice Regional Crime Lab and
    perusing of Forensic Net Base for specific subject matter.
 
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 as review of the U.S. Constitution,  critical analysis of legal concepts such as due  process and the exclusionary rule on the
  • Critical review of the identification and collection of evidence for admissibility in criminal trials and the legality of methods which are used to gather the evidence
  • Review of criminal law cases regarding evidence identification, collection and admissibility in criminal trials.  Evaluation of on line written reports on specific criminal cases regarding the due process application of evidentiary matters
  • Review of methods, protocols and published literature on the scientific application of evidence for admissibility in criminal cases.  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.  Identification, collection, chain of custody and legality of methods used for evidence admissibility in criminal cases
  • In class exercises;   pro / con analysis of current practitioner practices;  the application of the various types of evidence collection for use in criminal cases; direct, real, circumstantial, corroborative, cumulative, testimonial, documentary
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:

  • Judy Hails. Criminal Evidence. 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
  • Terry Anderson, Thomas J. Gardner. Criminal Evidence. 6th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2007.
  • Gregory D. Lee. Practical Criminal Evidence . 6th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
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