AJ 4 - Criminal Law

Transfer Status

CSU/UC

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course offers an analysis of the doctrines of criminal liability in the United States and the classification of crimes against persons, property, morals, and public welfare. Special emphasis is placed on the classification of crime, the general elements of crime, the definitions of common and statutory law, and the nature of acceptable evidence. This course utilizes case law and case studies to introduce students to criminal law. The completion of this course offers a foundation upon which upper-division criminal justice course will build. The course will also include some limited discussion of prosecution and defense decision making, criminal culpability, and defenses to crimes. Graded only. (C-ID AJ 120).

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Discuss the goals and characteristics of criminal law.
2. Explain the adversary system and sources of criminal law.
3. Discuss the philosophical and historical evolution of criminal law, noting the role of the judiciary in its development.
4. Know the basic terminology, definitions and theories of criminal law.
5. Identify elements of offenses against the person, property, morals and public welfare.
6. Classify crimes according to severity.
7. Explain the concept of lesser included offenses.
8. Explain capacity to commit crime, causation, and culpability.
9. Critically analyze various components of our system of criminal law.
10. Prepare legal briefs of appellate course decisions.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

1. Discussion
2. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
3. Lecture
4. Multimedia Presentations

1. Homework
2. Objective and subjective examinations/quizzes, Case analysis, In class exercises/presentations

Reading Assignments

1. Review the U.S. Supreme Court decision "Kansas v. Crane", paying particular attention to the legal issue of the involuntary civil commitment of convicted sexual violent predators. Come to class prepared to discuss the "sexual violent predator act" both conceptually and as it relates to an "involuntary commmitment".
2. Read six appellate court decisions and be prepared to discuss in class.

Writing Assignments

1. Read the chapter on offenses against the person. Prepare a one-two page legal brief of an appellate court decision and orally present in class.
2. Prepare a reference for common legal terms used in the judicial system. Your reference should contain a minimum of 150 terms.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Identify six constitutional legal issues that relate to written statutes and in a 3-5 page essay summarize each.
2. Define and summarize instructor provided vocabulary related to criminal law.

Boyce, J & Drips, D & Perkins, R. (2010). Criminal Law and Procedure. West Group, 11th.

Other Learning Materials

Handouts regarding constitutional issues provided by the instructor.

Administration of Justice

Law (Masters Required)