Ridgefield Public Schools - Law and Justice

Law and Justice - High School

Law and Justice concentrates on the changing concepts of individual rights and responsibilities while focusing on pertinent historic and contemporary Constitutional issues and significant court decisions; i.e., the workings of due process, equal protection and freedom of speech. An examination of the American Criminal Justice System will cover all the steps in the process, from the causal factors of crime to actual report, arrest, trial, conviction and incarceration. It includes a study of the relationship of the individual to the police, the court system and correctional procedures. Students will have the opportunity to interact with law enforcement and court personnel, community resource persons, and become familiar with a general body of legal knowledge. Field trips and guest speakers are integrated into the structure of the course as appropriate.

Definitions, Purposes, and Sources of Law in the United States

TOPICS

What is Law?
Our Constitutional Framework
How Laws are Created

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How have human behaviors and customs shaped lawmaking since the beginning of recorded history?
What historical and contemporary examples can be provided of laws that reflect economic, moral and political values ?
In what ways does the United States Constitution serve as a source of law on federal, state and local matters ?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

list several historical sources of contemporary law in the United States.
name and explain the difference between criminal and civil law.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

identify and explain the correlation between the interdependent political structures that make up the American system of democracy, and their impact upon the lawmaking process.
examine the powers of the national government, powers reserved to the states, and concurrent powers shared by the national, state and local systems of government.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

analyze the impact of moral and societal values upon the creation, interpretation and application of laws in the United States.
evaluate the origin and purpose of specific laws through case analysis and research methods.

The Definition, Function, and Jurisdiction of Federal and State Courts (week 2)

TOPICS

The Court System
Trial Procedures

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How does the structure and function of state and federal court systems reflect the values, beliefs and ethics contained within the U.S. Constitution?
What are the differences between procedural and substantive due process, and how have the courts applied these through Constitutional interpretation?
How does the adversary system shape the role of judges and the scope of judicial power?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

define and explain why the U.S. Constitution has created a dual system of justice.
identify and describe the key differences of court proceedings using the adversarial system vs. the inquisitional system.
list and describe the 12 key steps in a civil or criminal trial.
outline the structure of the state and federal courts, identifying the jurisdiction of each major type.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

describe the roles of key court personnel, such as public defenders and prosecutors, bailiffs, judges, state and federal attorneys general and solicitors general.
identify and explain the selection, role and impact of jurors in the American court system.
compare the process used to select Connecticut and Federal judges and analyze the rationale for their differences and similarities.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

analyze judicial activism and judicial restraint and their impact upon appellate cases.
explain how cases reach the Connecticut and United States Supreme Court, and analyze the impact of their rulings.
analyze the relationship between the various types of courts and the people they serve.

The United States Criminal Justice Process (week 5)

TOPICS

The Criminal Investigation Process
Types of Arrest
Miranda Rights
Search and Seizure
Proceedings Before Trial
The Trial

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How do Amendments 4, 5, 6 and 8 of the Bill of Rights reflect the values, beliefs and ethics of America since 1791?
How does the United States Criminal Justice System maintain a sense of fairness and equality from initial arrest to sentencing regardless of individual wealth, poverty, status or anonymity?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

define the terms “arrest”, “probable cause”, and “warrant”.
explain the legal standard required for an arrest.
identify the Constitutional rationale behind the case of Miranda v. Arizona.
list and explain each of the protections set out in the Miranda warning.
list and discuss the common situations in which a search warrant is not required.
list and describe the proceedings that occur before a criminal trial.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

analyze a series of factual or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether an arrest is lawful.
cite and explain the rationale behind the Fourth Amendment.
identify and compare the types of activity that are regulated by the Constitution’s prohibition against unreasonable searches.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

prepare and analyze an affidavit for a search warrant to determine whether there are legal grounds to grant it.
analyze hypothetical and/or real situations in order to determine whether a search is lawful or unlawful.
define and explain the exclusionary rule and discuss its rationale and importance.
describe the plea bargaining process and compare the arguments for and against it.
evaluate a series of cases and discuss in order to determine under which conditions defendants should be released before trial.
identify the typical sentencing options available to a criminal court.
explain the factors that go into a sentencing decision.
evaluate and discuss the importance of a pre-sentence report in order to determine the appropriate defendant sentence.
analyze arguments for and against sentencing guidelines for judges.

The Nature and Causes of Crime in the United States (week 8)

TOPICS

The Nature of Crime
Introduction to Criminal Law
Crimes Against Persons
Crimes Against Property

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What factors influence the decisions and choices that define our lives and the lives of others?
How can deviant behavior be identified or measured as tension between the perceptions of the individual and the accepted standards and norms of society?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

list and discuss the various suggested causes of crime.
define the term “crime”.
identify the steps taken to report a crime.
identify and explain the reasons that certain types of people who are more likely to become victims of crime.
identify the steps taken to report a crime.
define and provide examples for the terms “felony” and “misdemeanor”.
define and examine the various types of crimes against persons and property.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

evaluate a series of acts in order to determine whether they should be considered criminal in nature.
describe some of the possible solutions to the nation’s crime problem.
analyze and interpret crime statistics from various tables of data.
discuss and debate effective and non-effective crime prevention techniques.
explain how crime affects victims and how victim groups can respond to crime.
distinguish between the various parties to a crime (i.e., principal, accomplice, accessory before the fact, and accessory after the fact).
distinguish between intent and motive.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

analyze factual situations in order to determine whether the crime of attempt has been committed.

Juvenile Justice in America (week 11)

TOPICS

History and Overview of the Juvenile Court System
Juvenile Classifications
Status Offenses
Juvenile Court Procedures

FOCUS QUESTIONS

Is a humanitarian or control philosophy more appropriate for juvenile delinquents, and can a balance be achieved between the two?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

identify and explain the circumstances in which a young person may be subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
define the terms “parens patriae” and “In loco parentis” and explain how these concepts have shaped the juvenile justice system.
define and distinguish the terms “delinquent” and “status offender”.
describe and discuss the purpose and procedures unique to the juvenile justice system.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

compare and contrast the rights of delinquents in juvenile court with those of adults in criminal court.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

analyze and evaluate the goals and operations of the juvenile justice system while recommending possible changes for improvement.

Incarceration, Correctional Science, and Capital Punishment (week 13)

TOPICS

Types of Incarceration
Punishment vs. Rehabilitation
Capital Punishment

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How can correctional facilities punish while at the same time rehabilitate criminal behaviors?
Should inmates be responsible for a portion of the expenses incurred upon taxpayers as a result of their imprisonment?
Does the application of the Death Penalty serve as a deterrent to crime, and should current methodology be evaluated?

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

identify states within out federal system of government that have capital punishment.
identify and describe the roles of key corrections personnel.
explain the difference between a prison and a jail.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

describe and evaluate how the behavior of certain types of inmates influences the architecture of their surroundings.
discuss the concept and give examples of prisoner’s rights.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

analyze and explain prison overcrowding and its impact upon the criminal justice system and society.
examine the methodology used in the implementation of the death penalty.
identify and evaluate arguments for and against capital punishment.

The Laws of the United States and Terrorism (week 16)

TOPICS

U.S. Criminal Law in Times of War
Surveillance and Searches
Detention and Interrogation Methods
Rights of the Accused Terrorist at Trial

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How have Constitutional principles and practices been affected by historical and contemporary wartime conditions?
Can certain civil liberties be willfully intruded upon by executive authority employing sophisticated eavesdropping techniques, without infringing upon areas of privacy staked out by prior court rulings?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

define and list when writs of habeas corpus have been suspended in U.S. History.
define and describe the various characteristics of individual and state-sponsored acts of terrorism.
describe the impact of the 2001 Patriot Act upon U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

compare and contrast the features and merits of a warrant based search to a warrant-less “sneak and peak” search.
compare and contrast the arguments in trying suspected terrorists in a regular criminal court versus a secret military tribunal.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

explain how getting more freedom in your own life means that you have more responsibility.
discuss the expansion of civil rights laws and its effect on society.
analyze how civil rights laws expanded civil liberties.
analyze the role of the 14^thAmendment both historically and currently in relation to civil liberties and protecting the US security.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

analyze the arguments of those who favor indefinite detention of suspected terrorists and those who oppose it on Constitutional grounds.