CRJU 233: Courts and the Criminal Process. (GE)
Credit Hours: (3)
Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course.
Catalog Description
An examination 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.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
The course will consist of two basic components:
1. the organization and structure of courts in the American legal system
2. the stages in the criminal process and the basic rights that attach to each stage.
In the court organization and structure component, students will learn about the organization of the federal court system (which will be compared with the variety of approaches utilized by state court systems). Particular attention will be given to the role of the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the criminal process component, the various steps in the criminal process through which a typical felony case proceeds will be explored, beginning with arrest and extending through the appeals process. The Bill of Rights contains numerous provisions extending protections to those accused of crimes. The leading cases from the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting those provisions will be covered as each stage is discussed.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
A combination of lecture, class discussion, group work, and videotapes may be utilized. In the court organization and structure component, some role playing may be utilized to help students explore the proper role of the U.S. Senate in confirming presidential nominees to the federal bench and understand the role of judges in interpreting statutes and the Constitution. In the criminal process component, students will be presented with fact situations to which they must apply the rules established by Supreme Court decisions concerning the rights of criminal defendants under the Bill of Rights.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
The student will be able to:
a) explain the basic differences in the structure of the federal and state court systems
and the significance of those differences
b) explain the various methods used in this country to select judges and the ramifications
of each method for the courts
c) understand the basic rights of those accused of crimes
d) apply the rules defining the basic rights of the accused to fact situations raising
questions about the extent of and limitations on those rights.
Assessment Measures
Students will be examined on material covered through objective and essay tests. They may also be assigned periodic journal entries designed to provide feedback about student鈥檚 understanding of critical concepts and issues explored in class and to challenge students to consider the implications of those concepts and issues.
REVIEW AND APPROVAL
DATE ACTION APPROVED BY
September 2001, Reviewed by Dr. Isaac Van Patten, Department Chair
March 01, 2021
January, 2023; Reviewed Dr. Riane Bolin, Department Chair