SOC 352 Criminal Procedure

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

SOC 352.01 CRIMINAL LAW II (Criminal Procedure)

Prerequisite: Intro to Sociology	Instructor: Dr. Zoran Milovanovich
Phone: (484) 365-8000, x3548	Office Location: DH 362

COURSE DESCRIPTION The course introduces students to the rules and procedures that govern the pretrial processing of criminal suspects and the conduct of criminal trials. While being primarily focused on principles of American criminal procedure, the course also examines character of criminal proceedings in different criminal justice systems worldwide. Discussion includes a number of issues relevant to the constitutional safeguards, as well as the cases reflecting current trends in criminal procedure.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

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

Understand the nature of criminal process as a legal framework that consists of rules designed to ensure proper and fair enforcement of substantive criminal law and adjudication of criminal cases.
Understand distinctly different models of criminal proceedings in different societies and legal traditions.
Discuss the roles of the police, the prosecutor, the judge, criminal defense attorney, and other key actor in criminal process.
Identify the differences in the processing of felony and misdemeanor cases, and discuss the steps and procedures in the accusatory process, and understand the various stages in the conduct of a criminal trial.
Understand the nature of sentencing process and functions of the appellate review.

COURSE EMPHASIS

As a critical thinking emphasis course, Criminal Law I will employ simplified versions of two methods - case analysis and "focused dialogue" - commonly used in law schools to train and improve thinking skills of students. They are being exposed to challenges of defending their reasoning and required to make sense of every decision they reach. They are taught to avoid the common mistake of jumping hastily to a conclusion based on limited number of facts and form the opinion that can stand critical review.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Textbook assignments;
Tests: four tests, including midterm and final exam;
WebCT Assignments
Classroom attendance and participation.

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Grade Distribution

Quizzes	20%
Midterm Exam	20%
Final Exam	40%
WebCT Assignments	10%
Class Participation	10%

Oral Presentation

Evaluation of the oral presentation is based on the following criteria: selection of subject (relevant to assignment, interesting, appropriate level); content and organization (necessary components: introduction, development, supporting material, conclusion); language (clarity, vividness, grammar correct, oral style); delivery (body control, voice); attitude toward an audience (urge to communicate); the degree to which the class was involved; and overall effectiveness.

Percentage to Letter-Grade Conversions

A	95-99%
A-	91-94%
B+	86-90%
B	81-85%
B-	76-80%
C+	71-75%
C	66-70%
C-	61-65%
D+	56-60%
D	51-55%
F	0-50%

Tests

Students are expected to take all tests at the regularly scheduled time. If a student cannot do so, he/she should inform the professor before the test. If the reason for being absent is valid, the student will be given the opportunity to take a make-up test. Because of the difficulty of developing a second test, make-up test will consist entirely of essay questions. Students who miss test without informing the professor beforehand will not be permitted to make up the test unless they can provide proof of having had to leave the campus unexpectedly for a hospital stay or serious family emergency.

Attendance

Students in this class will be expected to adhere to the University regulations on absence from class. Students are advised to keep in mind that four absences may result in an automatic failure in the course, and that three tardy arrivals will be counted as one absence.

Academic Ethics:

Students are reminded that they must adhere to the standards of academic ethics of the University. These include standards of honesty for such activities as submitting assignments and essays, taking tests and examinations and doing project assignments. To view the full text of the University Approved Integrity Statement, click here.

REQUIRED TEXT

Kaci, J., CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, Wadsworth Publishing, 2004