Organization and administration of the adjudication function on both federal and state levels. Analysis of the roles of court personnel and adjudication process. Relationships with the other criminal justice functions.
 

II. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

    After completing Criminal Justice 4113, the student will be able to:

    1. Describe the structure of the court system.

    2. Describe functions of the major components of court system.

    3. Discuss the various court personal positions.

    4. Explain the operations of the pre-trial, trial and post-trial judicial process.

    5. Analyze the problems prevalent in the court system.

    6. Describe the efforts to reform the judicial system.

III. COURSE PURPOSE:

    This course is a require within the Administration of Justice and the Law Enforcement Options of the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

IV. COURSE TEXT:

    The texts for this course is America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System, 6th. Ed. by Neubauer, David W.  Reading assignments are listed in the course schedule. Students are expected to have read and be ready to discuss the assigned material during the appropriate class meeting.

V. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

    There will be a course assignment given out in class.

VI. COURSE EXAMINATIONS:

    There will be Four (4) examinations in this course (see schedule for dates). Make-up examinations will "NOT" normally be given. It is the students responsibility to be at and take the examination at the appropriate times and dates.

    Answer Sheets: The instructor will provide SCAN-TRON answer sheets. NUMBER 2 LEAD PENCILS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL EXAMS.

VII. COURSE PARTICIPATION:

    A maximum of 10 percent of the final grade will be awarded for class participation including attendance. Students will be evaluated on their contribution to class discussion particularly on their performance during the short review period preceding most lectures. All students including those absent should carefully review material discussed before the next class meeting.

VIII. COURSE GRADING:

    The student should understand that assignments, papers and presentations are to be turned in or completed before the class indicated. Papers and assignments that are not turned in by the class period indicated will have a penalty of letter grade per each weekday (Monday-Friday) assigned. Those student not doing a presentation during the assigned time without prior approval will have a penalty of two letter grades assigned per occurrence. Failure to complete a major part of the course (turn papers, take major exams or make presentations) can result in the failure of the course.

    The following is a breakdown of the value of each element of the students work as it pertains to the final grade:

    Each examination will counts 20%                     20 x 4 = 80%
    Class assignment will count 10%                        10 x 1 = 10%
    Class participation will count 10%                     10 x 1 = 10%
                                                                              Total = 100%

Grading System:

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
0 - 59% = F
 

IX. COURSE FINAL GRADE:

    If you would like to know your final grade at the end of the semester before the university sends it to you, bring a self addressed, stamped business sized envelope to the final examination and your final grade and final exam grade will be sent to you.
 

X. COURSE ETHICS:

    A student found to be acting unethically (cheating on tests, quizzes, papers or assignments, plagiarism, etc.) will be failed in this course.

    All work submitted to the instructor must be the result of the student's own effort. If it is not it is PLAGIARISM. Any instances of plagiarism in any class assignment or test will result in a grade of zero for the assignment or test. The assignment or test will have to be redone as well. To plagiarize is to represent as one's own work the words or ideas of another. Examples of plagiarism include:

    a. Failure to give credit to the person whose words or ideas have been borrowed;

    b. Failure to place quotation marks (or other proper citation forms) around passages that are cited verbatim;

    c. and Minor changes of someone else's sentences and words that do not alter the essential style or meaning of the passage.

    The above paragraph is copied from a professional colleague with his permission.
 

XI. COURSE DECORUM:

    The University regulations prohibit the use of tobacco (both smoking and chewing), drinking and eating in the classroom. These regulations will be observed. Tape recorders are NOT allowed in this course. Students who disrupt class (talking, pagers, cell phones, watch alarms, ect.) or fail to follow instructions will be warned once without penalty. Subsequent infractions will result in a deduction of points from the student's final grade.   Talking during lectures or tests will not be tolerated and students who persist in disturbing the class will be asked to leave and will have 5 points deducted from their cumulative total grade.  Additional guidelines regarding classroom behavior will be announced in class.

XII. COURSE ATTENDANCE:

    A student should recognize that one of the most vital aspects of a college experience is attendance and participation in classes and that the value of this academic experience cannot be fully measured by testing procedures alone. The members of this class are considered sufficiently mature to appreciate the necessity of regular attendance, to accept this as a personal responsibility and to demonstrate the kind of self-discipline essential for such performance.

    As a student, one should remember that they are responsible for all material covered in class. If a class should be missed, it is the students task to find and make-up the missed material. Leaving an electronic mail, voice mail, or written message does NOT fulfill this responsibility.

    Attendance will count towards the computation of the student's final grade. Students who come to class late or leave early will be counted absent. Excessive absences can be a reason for failure of the course.

XIII. COURSE WITHDRAWAL:

    Students may withdraw with a "W" grade until the last day allowed by the University (June 25, 1999 this semester) regardless of their grade in the course. Students who withdraw after the last day to withdraw with a "W" will receive a "W" grade if they are passing at the time of their withdrawal and have less than ten absences (calculated on the basis of a fifty minute class period). Students who want to withdraw and have a "F" average and less than ten absences should see the instructor. Students with ten or more absences (calculated on the basis of a fifty minute class period) who withdraw will receive a "F" grade.

XIV. COURSE INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Charles Dreveskracht
303 Seminary Hall
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464-2399

Telephone (voice): (918) 456-5511 ext. 3505

Telephone (fax): (918) 458-2193

E-Mail(Internet): dreveskr@cherokee.nsuok.edu

OFFICE HOURS:

Monday: 12:00-13:30*
Tuesday: 12:00-13:30* &17:00-18:00 at RSU
Wednesday: 12:00-13:30*
Thursday: 12:00- 13:30* &17:00-18:00 at RSU
or by appointment.
 

CLASS HOURS:

Monday: 13:30-16:20*
Tuesday: 13:30-16:20* and 18:00-20:40 at RSU
Wednesday: 13:30-16:20*
Thursday: 13:30-16:20* and 18:00-20:40 at RSU

*From 7/6/1999 to 7/30/1999

XV. COURSE ACCOMMODATIONS:

    If any member of the class feels that he/she has a disability and needs special accommodations, please advise the instructor of such disability at the first class attended.

XVI. COURSE EXCEPTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

    Under EXTREMELY compelling circumstances, exceptions can be made to some policies in this syllabus. If you have a problem, inform me as soon as possible, preferably beforehand and in person. If I am alerted early, it may be possible to work out a mutually satisfactory solution to the situation. Delay almost always makes resolution more difficult. I prefer to discuss problems in my office rather than in front of the class and find that the students are usually happier about the decisions made there. All exceptions to class policies in this syllabus must be requested in writing and, if approved, will be granted in writing. The instructor, not the students, determines class policy or policies in any instance in which the syllabus does not seem to be clear.

XVII. COURSE OUTLINE:

I. Criminal Courts

    A. Role
    B. Law and politics
    C. History

II. The Legal System

    A. Basic law
    B. Rights of accused
    C. Adversaral system
    D. Court process
    E. Crime
        1. Definition
        2. Elements

III. Court Personnel

    A. Courtroom work group
    B. Prosecutor
    C. Defense attorneys
    D. Judges
    E. Defendants, victims and witnesses

IV. Pre-Trial Process

    A. Arrest
    B. Bail
    C. Preparing for trial
    D. Plea negotiation

V. Trial Process

VI. Post-Trial Process

    A. Sentencing
    B. Disparities

VII. Court System Problems

    A. Case load
    B. Lower courts
    C. Court administration
        1. Delay
        2. Case scheduling
        3. Paperwork
        4. Speedy trial acts
    D. System goals

XVIII. COURSE SCHEDULE:

Dates ...........Subject ....................Text Pages

July 6 ...........Introduction.............................1-25

July 7 ...........Legal System..........................26-55

July 8 ...........Federal &State Courts..........56-104

July 12 .........Courthouse Justice...............105-128......Exam # 1 (1-104)

July 13 .........Prosecutors...........................129-155

July 14 .........Defense..................................156-180

July 15 ........Judges, Defendants & Victims....181-231

July 19 .......Arrest to Arraignment..........232-261.......Exam # 2 (105-231)

July 20 ........Bail & Evidence.....................262-307

July 21 ........Negotiated Pleas & Trials.....308-369

July 22 .......Sentencing Options................370-398.......Exam # 3 (232-369)

July 26 ........Sentencing Decisions...............399-433

July 27 ........Appellate Courts....................434-460

July 28 ........Lower Courts.........................461-484.....Assignment Due

July 29 .......Juvenile Courts.......................485-511

July 30 .......Exam # 4 (370-511)
 

"PLEASE BE PLANNING WELL AHEAD SO THAT YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THE REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS ON THE ABOVE DATES"
 

Last Modified on Monday July 05 1999
Maintained by Charles L. Dreveskracht