Course Syllabus
CR 276 - The Law of Arrest, Search and Seizure
Fall 2008
Instructor: Chris Meyerhoeffer
Office: Aspen Building, Room 128A
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m. Monday, Wednesday, & Friday; 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Tuesday & Thursday
Office Telephone: 732-6873
Internet Address:
Class Meetings: None –course offered via Blackboard
Required Text: John N. Ferdico, Criminal Justice for Criminal Justice Professional (10th Edition 2008) Wadsworth Publishing.
COURSE SPECIFICS
Prerequisite: CRIJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration or consent of the instructor.
The College of Southern Idaho Mission Statement
The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides quality educational, social, cultural, economic, and workforce development opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. CSI prepares students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives in a global society.
Social Science Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social, and cultural opportunities which encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing students to understand, interpret, and apply Social Science discipline coursework.
Social Science Department Goals: This course addresses the following Social Science Department goals, which are to:
1. help students understand important facts, concepts and theories of Social Science subjects.
2. help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.
3. help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4. teach students to use evaluation, analysis and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5. teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions
6. help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.
7. prepare students to transfer to a university.
Criminal Justice Program Mission Statement
The mission of the CSI Criminal Justice Program is primarily to prepare graduates to transfer as Junior-level students to 4-year universities and to prepare two year graduates for entry level positions in the criminal justice field.
Criminal Justice Program Objectives: Students will…
1. gain mastery of a breadth of knowledge of the discipline of criminal justice, criminal procedure, and criminal evidence law (breadth of knowledge).
2. gain mastery of a depth of knowledge of the discipline of criminal justice, criminal procedure, and criminal evidence law (depth of knowledge).
3. be well practiced as a critical consumer of information (critical thought).
4. be well practiced in professional written communication (professional writing).
5. be well- prepared as a potential contributor to scientific discovery in criminal justice (scientific capability).
6. be well-prepared for upper-division coursework in criminal justice (career-focused education plan).
7. be well-prepared for entry level position in criminal justice (career-focused plan).
Criminal Justice 276 Catalog Description
A highly concentrated study of the legalities and decision-making processes associated with arrest, search and seizure in accordance with statutes, case law, and Supreme Court decisions as they relate to constitutional protections.
Course Outcomes* Aligned with Social Science Goals (SS) and Program Objectives (CRIJ):
Students will… / SS / CRIJ1. Discuss generally the nature and extent of individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution and discuss in depth those rights in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. / 1, 4, 6, 7 / 1, 2, 4, 6
2. Discuss generally the structure of the court system of the United States and that of Idaho, and trace the progress of a criminal case through the court system from the initial complaint through appeal and post conviction relief / 2, 3, 4, 7 / 2, 3, 4, 5
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case identifying the individual right in issue and how it comes into conflict with a law enforcement function / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 6
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case presenting arguments for the position of both the prosecutor and defense / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 6
3. Apply the law of arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identification, to particular fact situations, in each case resolving the issue as a court, lawyer or law enforcement officer would, including a well-reasoned opinion / All but 1 and 2 / 2, 3, 5, 6
Outcomes Assessment
Assessment performs a number of functions within the teaching and learning process: It gives feedback to the student on their learning experience; it measures the performance of the student; and contributes to the evaluation of effectiveness of the subject content and delivery. Assessment of student learning can be conducted using a variety of available instruments and methods. A combination of assessment approaches can be the most effective way to measure student learning.
Assessment practices embedded in courses will generate information about what and how students are learning. A wide range of formal and informal interaction and performance assessment methods will be used in this course to determine whether students attained prescribed educational goals and objectives:
Multiple- Choice Exams / Chapter Quizzes / Discussion Questions / On-line Course Evaluations / Writing AssignmentCO1 / ü / ü / ü
CO2 / ü / ü / ü
CO3 / ü / ü / ü
CO4 / ü / ü / ü
CO5 / ü / ü / ü
Policies and Procedures
Discussion and Participation Policy: Students are expected to participate in on-line discussions. I will monitor each student’s on-line participation weekly. If a student fails to participate in the first two on-line discussions or fails to take the first two chapter quizzes, I may drop the student from the class. Students with perfect on-line participation will receive 10 bonus points.
Honesty Policy: I follow the honesty policy in the CSI Student Handbook. If a student cheats on an exam or plagiarizes on a writing assignment, I will give the student a zero on that exam or writing assignment. If a student violates the honesty policy more than once, I may fail the student.
Late Policy: I expect students to take quizzes on the day or week when scheduled. I will notify students in advance of giving a quiz. No make up quizzes will be given if a student fails to take a quiz during the week it is assigned. If a student cannot take a quiz on the day it is assigned, please notify me in advance. Make up quizzes may be given at my discretion, but I may give the student a different quiz. Writing assignments and quizzes are due as indicated on-line unless other arrangements have been made.
Required Assignments: Students should read the assigned reading material, usually one or two chapters in the textbook, prior to taking a chapter quiz. If you have difficulty understanding the material or need clarification, please contact with any questions. You can reach me via Blackboard or on my regular email address. I may refer students to an independent website if I find materials that will assist student learning. This helps facilitate student learning, and makes meaningful discussion about the discussion material possible. In addition, quizzes will be based upon the assigned reading material for a particular week. One discussion question from each chapter will be placed on-line prior to the beginning of the week in which we discuss that chapter.
Grading Practices
1. I will give four exams each worth 50 points during the semester (total 200 points). Each exam will have 50 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions worth 2 points each (total between 100 points). The exams will cover the reading material for the particular unit and will be designed to assess the course outcomes.
2. I will also give 14 quizzes worth 10 points each during the semester. Each quiz will have 10 true/false questions. The 14 quizzes will be counted in determining a student’s final grade (total of 140 points). Each quiz will be posted at the first of the week and will cover the material in the reading assignment for that week.
3. I will also post 14 Discussion Questions worth 10 points each during the semester. Each discussion question will correlate to the assigned reading material for that week. The 14 Discussion Questions will be counted in determining a student’s final grade (total of 140 points). Each discussion question will be posted at the first of the week and will cover the material in the reading assignment for that week.
Grading Scale:
432 points to 480 points = A
384 points to 431 points = B
336 points to 383 points = C
288 points to 335 points = D
Less than 288 points = F
I may curve the grading scale f the overall course grades are low for a given semester.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week
/Class Topic
/Assignment
August 25 / Individual Rights Under the U.S. Constitution / Chapter 1September 1 / An Overview of the Criminal Court System / Chapter 2
September 8 / Basic Underlying Concepts / Chapters 3
September 15 / Exam 1 (Chapters 1-3)
September 22 /
Criminal Investigatory Search Warrants
/ Chapter 4September 29 / Administrative Searches, Special Needs Searches, and Electronic Surveillance / Chapter 5
October 6 / Arrest / Chapter 6
October 13 / Stops and Frisks / Chapter 7
October 20 / Exam 2 (Chapters 4-7)
October 27 /
Searches Incident to Arrest and Protective Sweeps
/ Chapter 8November 3 /
Consent Searches; The Plain View Doctrine
/ Chapters 9 & 10November 10 /
Search and Seizure of Vehicles and Containers
/ Chapter 11November 17 /
Open Fields & Abandoned Property
/ Chapter 12November 24 / Exam 3 (Chapters 8-12)
December 1 / Interrogation, Admissions, and Confessions / Chapter 13
December 8 / Pretrial Visual Identification Procedures / Chapter 14
December 15 / Exam 4 (Chapters 9, 13 & 14)
CSI E-mail:
Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: . Students can check their CSI e-mail online at http://students.csi.edu. Instructors and various offices send messages to these accounts.Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.
On-line course evaluation statement:
To help instructors continually improve courses, students are strongly encouraged to go online to http://evaluation.csi.edu and complete anonymous evaluations which open two weeks before the end of the course and close the last day of class. When students enter the site, they find evaluations for their enrolled courses. Thank you for this valuable input!
Disabilities:
Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6250 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or e-mail Candida Mumford, .