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Week One: Introduction to Criminal Law and Procedure
Week One: Introduction to Criminal Law and Procedure
This course has a bit more work to do on the assignments than some of your other courses. Pay attention to the assignments that are due by the end of the weekly module. Start learning how to maximize your time and setting a plan for completing your assignments along with everything else going on that week. In other words, set a study schedule and stick to it! Remember you will be given more than one assignment at a time when you are working for an attorney, so now is a great time to start managing your projects efficiently to work smarter and not harder.
The photo to the left is the Common Pleas Court at the Hardin County Courthouse in Kenton, Ohio where I used to practice. I loved all the historic courthouses I practiced in every day. This was one of my favorites. My daughter is on the bench waving the gavel and my husband is off to the side.
The Textbook:
The Textbook:
Hall, D. (2023). Criminal Law and Procedure. 8th Ed. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-0-357-61933-9.
Please note the ISBN may change depending on version of the books, i.e. print, ebook, etc. You need to make sure you have the correct book and edition for class. Check the bookstore for pricing option. The bookstore also price matched. Make sure you order in time for the start of class. You can obtain the book itself of use your Cengage Unlimited subscription to access all materials for all courses using Cengage published materials. Cengage Unlimited offers an e-book and you can contact them about renting a print copy for shipping costs.
Below is a how to get prepped for the beginning of class and what we will be covering the first week.
Responsibilities for week one
Responsibilities for week one
Responsibilities and material for week one
Responsibilities and material for week one
These first chapters will give us an introduction to what we will be covering in more detail throughout the semester. We will have an overview of laws, procedures, and courts. Most of the differences between civil and criminal court occur during the arresting, charging, and pretrial phases. The steps in court are fairly similar.
Most of you may have an understanding of criminal law from television and movies; some get it right and some are way off. We will be learning what is referred to as the "black letter law" or "multistate law" in this course which is how it is tested on the bar exams. Most states follow those law concepts and most of the differences come in discovery processes and sentencing guidelines. Sometimes there can be distinction in the statutes for elements of the crime so always make sure you review your state's penal code or criminal code and procedures. California has the California Penal Code. We will also be focusing on the adult side of criminal law. Juvenile law for delinquency/unruly charges are a little different, but most follow in some form the "adult" codes.
This was my primary area of practice, so I am extra excited about teaching this class. Hopefully by the end of class you will have a good working knowledge of criminal law and procedure.
By the end this week, you will be able to:
By the end this week, you will be able to:
Outline the steps to bring a defendant to trial.
Explain the differences between civil and criminal law and state and federal law.
Explain and recognize common law and statutory law.
Describe generally the role of various participants in the criminal justice system.
To successfully complete this module, you will need to:
To successfully complete this module, you will need to:
Complete everything in the orientation module to unlock the next week(s) and learn about the class.
Fully review the week one module.
Post to the discussion forum by 8:00p.m. Tuesday January 16th and reply to two classmates by Sunday.
Complete the orientation quiz by Tuesday January 16th.
Read the weekly reading assignment and listen to my lecture for Chapter One and Two.
Complete the Chapter One and Two assignments.
Contact Me
Contact Me
If you have questions or concerns while reviewing the information within the module or how to navigate the course, please contact me directly for help or post to the "Ask Your Instructor" forum.
I look forward to class!
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