A study of the law of criminal procedure, treating investigation and police practices, preliminary proceedings, and trial, as they relate to the development and structure of the American criminal-justice system and as they affect offenders. 3 credits From the perspective of the criminal-justice professional, this course addresses key principles enunciated in the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and fourteenth amendments to The Constitution of the United States . An examination of the law of evidence as it pertains to the trial of a criminal case. A consideration of the rights guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to The Constitution of the United States , surveying constitutional provisions, statutes, court rules, and cases concerning the right of a criminal defendant to a speedy and public trial, to trial by jury, and to the assistance of counsel. An examination of the law enforcement officer or employee as a defendant in a civil suit arising from the scope of his or her employment.
Liability based upon rights statutes is examined, along with consideration of the typical defenses.
An examination of the causes and consequences of crime victimization. The recent emergence of the study of the victim, the types and circumstances of victimization, and the nature of the criminal-justice system's response to crime victims are considered, along with the ethical and practical dimensions of crime victimization. Supervised experiental learning in an approved criminal-justice setting taken preferably in junior and senior year.