Great Basin College

Course Syllabus

CRJ 220: Criminal Procedures3 Semester Credits

Section 1001Spring 2015

Location/Time: HTC 137, Mon. and Weds., 4:00 pm to 5:15 pm

Class Duration:January 19th to May 15th, 2015

Instructor:Rick Mackey, B.A., M.A.

Contact:Email address: Office Phone: 775-753-2348

If you need to contact me, please feel free to do so at your convenience. I check my email and my office phone at least once a day for any messages.

Office Hours / Morning / Afternoon
Monday / By Appointment / Noon-1:00pm,
2:30pm to 4:00pm
Tuesday / 10:00am-noon / By Appointment
Wednesday / By Appointment / Noon-1:00pm,
2:30pm to 4:00pm
Thursday / By Appointment / By Appointment
Friday / By Appointment / By Appointment

Catalog Description: The origin, development, and rationale of the structural and procedural aspects of America’s criminal justice system. Emphasis on arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and related legal issues.

Required Textbook: Del Carmen, Ronald V. (2010), Criminal Procedure, 9th Edition, Cengage: Belmont, Ca.

Course Description: CRJ220 explores the basic constitutional rights, and the laws and the procedures related to those rights, that are associated with the investigation and resolution of criminal cases. The criminal justice system has been described by some researchers as “an assembly line”, and students in this course will learn about the the various compoenents of this criminal justice system “assembly line”, and will learn about the criminal laws and procedures that are associated with them.

Course Objectives:

  1. Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral forms, i.e. discussion, reading, listening.
  2. Describe the roles and functions by various government entities within the criminal justice system.
  3. Identify and define various legal terms associated with criminal procedures.
  4. Describe the role and function of the courts, the police, and the public in the criminal procedure process.
  5. Interpret important Supreme Court decisions related to such topics as search and seizure, self-incrimination, right to counsel, and police conduct.
  6. Demonstrate critical thinking to enable student to apply concepts, theories, and values associated with criminal procedures to practical situations.

Learner Outcomes:

Outcomes / Measurement
  • Describe the nature and differences found in the dual court system—federal and state.
/
  • Class discussion
  • Quizzes and/or exams

  • Describe the history and philosophical underpinnings of criminal procedure.
/
  • Quizzes and/or exams
  • Class discussion

  • Explain the difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion.
  • Identify major case decisions associated with these concepts.
/
  • Quizzes and/or exams
  • Class discussion
  • Written Assignment

  • Explain concepts related to search and seizures.
  • Identify major case decisions associated with these concepts.
/
  • Quizzes and/or exams
  • Class discussion

  • Recall various legal terminologies associated with criminal procedures.
/
  • Class discussion
  • Quizzes and/or exams

  • Analyze and evaluate Supreme Court decisions related to police conduct, warrant service, and sentencing.
/
  • Written Assignment
  • Internet Research

  • Explain constitutional exceptions to search and seizure procedures.
/
  • Class discussion
  • Quizzes and/or exams

Course Requirements:

Students are responsible for reading assigned chapters prior to the scheduled class meetings. Additionally, students should be prepared to discuss text material during class, as well as relevant newsworthy information. All students are encouraged to participate in class discussions and group activities. All class participation will be evaluated and incorporated into the final grade. This participation grade is very important and can either raise or lower a student’s final grade based on participation performance. Students can earn participation credit by attending class, contributing to class discussions, sharing relevant experiences, demonstrating familiarity with assigned reading, and actively participating in group assignments.

CLASS PRESENTATIONS: Class presentations will consist of lectures and PowerPoint presentations from the assigned chapters, class discussions regarding relevant topics and current events, group work and learning exercises, multimedia and film presentations and periodic guest speakers from the criminal justice community. Students must come prepared to class having completed, prior to class, the assigned readings and ready to engage in a positive and productive discussion and learning process.

CLASSROOM CONDUCT: Students are expected to be courteous and civil with other students during class lectures and discussions. The use of profanity and vulgarity is inappropriate in the courtroom. Food is not allowed in the classroom at any time. The use of cell phones, tablet computers, laptops and other electronic devices during class is distracting to other students and is not permitted. All electronic devices should be turned off and stored out of sight during class. If you have an employment obligation or some other emergency that requires that you to have a cell phone turned on during class, please contact me outside of class to discuss the issue.

Grading Policy: Grading is based on a point system as outlined below.

Mid-Term Exam100 points

Final Exam100 points

Weekly Quiz130 points

Weekly Group Activity130 points

Class Participation50 points

Written Assignment50 points

TOTAL POINTS560 POINTS

Grading Scale:

Percent%LetterPercent%Letter

94-100A73-76C

90-93A-70-72C-

87-89B+67-69D+

83-86B63-66D

80-82B-60-62D-

77-79C+<60F

Exams:

There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam administered during this semester. Each of these exams will consist of fifty multiple choice and true/false type of questions. In addition to these fifty questions, there will also be two essay questions worth twenty five points each on each exam. You will be given the essay questions a week prior to the exam so you can research the questions prior to the exam and have time to provide an appropriate response. You have the choice of providing a type written response to the essay questions, or you can write out the questions during the provided class time. Generally speaking, those students who choose to research the question and provide a typed written response tend to score much higher in the grading process.

Quizzes:

A ten point quiz will be administered during each class meeting (except exam time) and will cover the reading assignment for the week. It is important that you read each chapter carefully and that you be prepared to take the quiz each week. If you do the reading and are prepared, you will do well in this class!

Group Activity: During the first or second week of class, you will be assigned to a group with fellow students and you will be part of this group for the entire semester. Each week, there will be a group activity which will be worth ten points. Your weekly participation as an active member of your group is expected and is an important part of this class. The group activity will be explained on a weekly basis.

CHEATING/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Any student that is discovered to be cheating in the course will receive an “F” grade for the course, will be dropped from the course and reported to the college administration for appropriate action.

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is required. If you miss a class without prior authorization, you may be dropped from the class. If absent, you are responsible for the material discussed when you were absent, and it is your obligation to familiarize yourself with it. Also be aware that GBC policy dictates that any class “withdrawals” must occur before 60% of the class is completed. This means that the last day to withdraw from the class and receive a “W” is March 23rd. If you do not notify admissions and complete the appropriate withdrawal request forms prior to this date you will receive a letter grade for the class.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (ADA Statement)

Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. The Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, Julie G. Byrnes, will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 775.753.2271.

CLASS SCHEDULE: Listed below is a class schedule that outlines the lecture schedule, reading assignments, group assignments, and the schedule for quizzes and exams. This is an outline only and may be subject to change during the course as need arises.

Class Schedule Reading Assignment

01/21/2015 / Review of Syllabus, course expectations, Lecture Ch. #1 / Chapter #1
The Court System, Sources of Rights,…
01/26/2015
01/28/2015 / Quiz #1
Group Activity #1
Lecture Chapter #1, #2 / Chapter #2
Criminal Justice Process
02/02/2015
02/04/2015 / Quiz #2
Group Activity #2
Lecture Chapter #3 / Chapter #3
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion
02/09/2015
02/11/2015 / Quiz #3
Group Activity #3
Lecture Chapter #4 / Chapter #4
The Exclusionary Rule
02/16/2015
02/18/2015 / Quiz #4
Group Activity #4
Lecture Chapter #5 / Chapter #5
Stop and Frisk
02/23/2015
02/25/2015 / Quiz #5
Group Activity #5
Lecture Chapter#6 / Chapter #6
Arrests and Use of Force
03/02/2015
03/04/2015 / Quiz #6
Group Activity #6
Lecture Chapter #7 / Chapter #7
Searches and Seizures
03/09/2015
03/11/2015 / Mid-Term Review (Monday)
Mid-Term Exam (Wednesday)
03/16/2015
03/18/2015 / Quiz #7
Group Activity #7
Lecture Chapter #8 / Chapter #8
Motor Vehicle Stops
03/30/2015
04/01/2015 / Quiz #8
Group Activity #8
Lecture Chapter #9 / Chapter #9
Plain View, Open Fields, …
04/06/2015
04/08/2015 / Quiz #9
Group Activity #9
Lecture Chapter #10 / Chapter #10
Lineups and Identification
04/13/2015
04/15/2015 / Quiz #10
Group Activity #10
Lecture Chapter #11 / Chapter #11
Confessions and Admissions
04/20/2015
04/22/2015 / Quiz #11
Group Activity #11
Lecture Chapter #12 / Chapter#12
Constitutional Rights
04/27/2015
04/29/2015 / Quiz #12
Group Activity #12
Lecture Chapter #13 / Chapters #13
Sentencing, Death Penalty
05/04/2015
05/06/2015 / Quiz #13
Group Activity #13
Lecture Chapter #14, #15
Final Exam Review / Chapters #14, #15
Legal Liabilities
Electronic Surveillance
05/11/2015 / Final Exam (exact date and time to be determined)

CAMPUS SECURITY:GBC is committed to the safety of our students and has a duty to promote awareness and prevention programs for violence on campus under the Jeanne Clery Act as well as the Campus SaVE (Sexual Violence Elimination Act) and VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), which are amendments to Clery. Acts of violence include, but are not limited to, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Acts of violence can occur on the physical campus or centers of GBC in addition to field placement sites, clinical practice settings, and other places where college or class activities occur.As well, the online environment at GBC is considered a GBC site.If you experience any incidence where your safety has been threatened or violated, or if you feel threatened or harassed, immediately report this to me, any center director, faculty, or staff member, or directly to the Director of Environmental Health, Safety & Security(775.753.2115) or the Vice President for Student Services(775.753.2282).

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